


Dawn till Dusk

by luciolelights



Category: Ladyhawke (1985), Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ladyhawke Fusion, Angst with a Happy Ending, Animal Transformation, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Established Relationship, Fairy Tale Curses, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, POV Alternating, Trans Jesse McCree, Trans Male Character, side dvamon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-12 09:49:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18444086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luciolelights/pseuds/luciolelights
Summary: “Always together, eternally apart. That was the curse. It will remain as long as there is day and night, night and day. Nothing can break it.”Hana Song meets two men, one who becomes an eagle during the day, and the other a wolf at night. Traveling and interacting with them leads to her winding up in the midst of finding a way to break their tragic curse.A Ladyhawke AU for the 2018-19 McHanzo Big Bang





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy! This is my entry for this year's McHanzo Big Bang. Huge thanks to both of my lovely artists for being so wonderful and also so patient with my procrastinating ass. 
> 
> Here are links to their gorgeous accompanying art:
> 
> [TraditionallyAppealing](https://traditionallyappealing.tumblr.com/post/184168356158/im-really-happy-to-show-my-part-in-the-mchanzo)
> 
> [KCRae](https://kceerae.tumblr.com/post/184163000866/i-have-had-an-amazing-experience-the-last-few)
> 
> Also if y'all haven't seen the film Ladyhawke, PLEASE watch it. It's one of my favourites from my childhood

The forest was dense, the trees packed together so tightly that Hana could hardly make it through, but she had to keep going. If she stopped, or even hesitated for a moment, she was good as dead. That thought kept her legs pumping through despite the ache in her calves and the laboured breaths she tried to take as she sped forward.

She dared not to look back.

Talon was relentless, and she knew they wouldn’t be far behind. Crashing her transport to Watchpoint: Gibraltar was a clear indication that they were after her, but for what reason, Hana could only speculate. It didn’t matter, however, in this moment—she had to keep going, going, faster, _faster_.

Light was sparse and only meager amounts filtered through the canopy. Making her way through the verdure was becoming more and more difficult the deeper she ventured, her eyes barely able to make out the shadows of the trees.

Hana didn’t even see the horse until she turned a corner and crashed right into it.

The animal whinnied and rose up on its hind legs, kicking the front ones as a clear message for her to stay back. She didn’t have much choice, as the blow knocked her to the ground a few feet away. As she lay there, barely registering what just happened, she heard a voice… a man’s voice, whispering  sweetly to the horse in an attempt to calm it down.

It took a few moments for her to recover from the fall. She sat up, opened her eyes, and was met with an outstretched hand.

“Are you hurt?” the man questioned, in English, and it wasn’t until Hana was lifted back to her feet that she got a chance to take a look at him. The forest was dark, but there were enough lingering beams of sunlight that he could mostly see him. The man had sharp facial features, particularly in his nose and cheekbones. He sported a well-trimmed beard, the same coal black as his hair, apart from a handful of grey streaks along his temples. His hair was tied up with a golden sash, and there was a single brown feather sticking out from the knot. It was impossible to see most of his clothing, for he wore a crimson and hazelnut cloak that covered most of his body. The cloak had an odd sort of feathery look to it.

Hana’s eyes lingered on the bow and quiver hanging over his shoulders.

It seemed like he was studying her, too, for he suddenly spoke in near-fluent Korean, “I apologize for scaring you.” Hana was surprised, at first, to hear her native tongue, but perhaps it was easy to guess her nationality for anyone who could recognize the Hanbok she was wearing. Though it was now tattered and dirty both from the crash and the trek through the forest.

She was hoping to look _nice_ when she arrived at Watchpoint: Gibraltar, and to make a good first impression with Overwatch. It was unfortunate that _that_ didn’t work out according to plan.

After a moment of hesitation, she simply murmured in her native tongue, “I am fine, thank you.”

The stranger released her hand. “Good. Be careful.” He clicked his tongue twice—directed to the horse—and went back to English. “Come now, Dusty.”

Hana watched him leave for a few moments before she suddenly remembered _why_ she was here, running around in the first place. “Wait!” she called after him and jogged over to walk at his side. He kept moving forward anyway, only giving her a side-eye. “I need your help! I’m being chased and—”

“I cannot help you,” he interrupted her without a second thought. “I have my own problems.”

Hana huffed, already annoyed by his rude and blunt tone. “Well then, if Talon takes you out too, it won’t be my problem!”

That had him come to a screeching halt. He spun around and Hana saw his eyes, wide as saucers. “Talon? They are here?”

“They crashed my transport. I don’t know why, but… they’re after me.”

The man went silent, seemingly studying her for a few moments. Finally, his face went blank once again, and he gave her a curt nod. “I will get you away from here, at least. Get on the horse.”

She was cautious, but she had few options and so she decided to try to trust this stranger. Hana allowed him to assist her onto the saddle, uncomfortably adjusting her Hanbok’s skirt once she was seated properly. The man leaped up to sit behind her and reached past her to take hold of the reigns. He kicked his heels into the horse’s sides and they were off, darting through the dark forest.

The man had gone completely silent once they were off, and as they darted through the dim forest, Hana was slowly growing more and more anxious as the quiet dragged on. As soon as Talon was mentioned, this stranger ended up switching his entire demeanor to something far more serious than before.

The silence was loud, and it was driving Hana wild. She finally swallowed nervously, deciding to speak up.

“You know of Talon?”

His eyes flickered to hers for a split second, looking as if he forgot she was even on the horse with him. His attention quickly went back to their path ahead.

“Only vaguely. They approached my father many times, begging for him to join them. He always refused.”

“Who was your father? He must’ve been important if Talon wanted him.”

As if his frown couldn’t get any worse, the line of his mouth dropped further down and his brows bent with his frown. He didn’t say a word. Hana waited for a response before finally giving up with an irritated huff.

There was more light ahead of them now than there was before, the density of the trees finally giving way and allowing more rays from the sun to trickle in through the canopy. She could now see the path that the horse was following, leading them out of the forest until they finally reached a clearing of open fields.

Hana’s chest seized once she spotted half a dozen men, all dressed in black, at least a hundred yards away from them. The men spotted them as soon as they darted out into the clearing and immediately gave chase, revving their hoverbikes up and approaching them swiftly.

“Take the reins,” the stranger at her back commanded as he dropped the leather strip without even looking and Hana had to scramble to get a grip on them.

“Wait! I don’t know h—”

He wasn’t listening. When Hana glanced behind her, she saw that he was taking off the bow strung along his back. She cursed under her breath, focusing instead to what was ahead. While the stranger took care of the Talon agents, she reminded herself that it was up to her to lead them out of danger. She swiftly tugged the reins to the left, which pulled the horse in the same direction, narrowly avoiding an incoming Talon agent.

There was another one circling around them to block their path, but an arrow swiftly struck them in the center of their chest. They toppled over, their lifeless corpse left behind as their hoverbike sped on until it ran out of steam and sank to the ground.

Hana shrieked, not at all expecting the man behind her to be _that_ damn good at using his weapon. She watched as another agent was struck down in the same way, before turning her head back to give him an encouraging, “I’m impressed, dude!” The man only gave her a small smile at the compliment.

Then her head was roughly shoved forward quite suddenly, her face meeting the horse’s mane. Before she could protest or struggle against the stranger’s firm grip, she heard a gunshot and felt the _whizz_ of something whip right by where her head was just a moment ago. When the hand finally pulled away, she heard the twang of the bow and a man’s screams until she pulled herself back up to see another Talon agent lying dead in the grass.

“Sorry,” murmured the man, and he shot another arrow, bringing the number of agents chasing them down to three. Hana opened her mouth to thank him for saving her life, but he didn’t give her the chance. “Keep going forward from here, I have a shelter that way.”

“But can we take care of the others?” Not that she didn’t see that this man was capable enough to knock them down, but, well… what if he didn’t make it?

It would be her fault, wouldn’t it? It’s her fault that he’s even here, protecting her. Just like Yuna—

Suddenly, the man brought his index and thumb to his mouth, letting out an ear-piercing whistle that rung throughout the clearing. Mere moments passed as Hana continued to drive the horse forward, watching helplessly as the remaining three Talon agents sped over to cut them off from their desired path. The man behind her said nothing, and did nothing, not even to try and stop them.

An animal’s cry echoed all around the clearing. Hana spotted movement from above, watching with mouth agape as an enormous bird swooped down and swiftly raked its talons all over one of the agents’ face. Instead of just a quick attack, the bird remained and continued its assault, wings flapping to keep itself in place. The Talon agent screamed, stopped their hoverbike, and tried to shake the bird off, but it was relentless. Another agent stopped to watch the scene, seemingly as if they would go back to help, but a steel arrow in their gut knocked them right off the hoverbike instead.

There was one agent left, and Hana frowned when she noticed that they’d stopped directly on their path and had their gun out, poised high.

“Forget this,” Hana grumbled to herself, reaching inside her _jeogori_ and bringing out her bubblegum pink pistol. Handling the reins with one hand, she held her other steady, aiming straight ahead. The Talon guard did the same, pointing the barrel of their rifle straight at the two of them.

The bird screeched once more and swiftly approached the remaining Talon agent, firmly gripping their helmet and flapping its wings sporadically. The agent dropped their rifle, and as soon as it hit the grass, Hana fired off three rounds that hit the agent where their skin was exposed between the armour, around the neck and face.

The man behind her took her wrist and moved the gun down. “Do _not_ shoot near that eagle!” Hana was startled at the harshness in his tone, such a contrast from his emotionless voice from before. She mumbled an apology in her native tongue and slipped the pistol back in her _jeogori_. “Give me the reins.” The man practically ripped them from her grip. Hana huffed, crossing her arms.

He slowed the horse down now that all the Talon agents were taken care of, leading it towards where the eagle remained, who was picking at the final agent’s body. The stranger whistled and the eagle took notice, crying out as it flapped and soared over, its talons landing on the man’s arm brace. Hana gasped when she felt its wide wings flap and smack her in the face, but the bird soon settled to the point that it hardly moved at all.

“Th—The eagle... it’s yours?” Hana asked, exasperated at the bizarre turn of events.

“ _He_ does not belong to me, no. We have a deeper bond than that of a man and his pet.” His tone was harsh but, as Hana glanced behind her, there was nothing in his expression but _adoration_ when he gazed at the eagle, and he was even running a finger through his thick chest feathers. Moments later, he raised his arm up and the eagle took off, heading in the same direction that he was leading the horse towards.

Hana sighed softly, deciding not to question the cryptic man anymore. He’d left the reins behind to give attention to the eagle, so Hana grabbed them and let the horse keep moving forward, to where the man previously told her to go. He said nothing at this—no quips or remarks—and she was more shocked to see that he wasn’t belittling her for it.

It wasn’t until they left the clearing and returned to the dense forest that the man finally spoke up. He tapped Hana’s shoulder before pointing off to their left. “Head this way. Follow the river.” Hana didn’t even notice said river until minutes later when they approached it, and she did as the man commanded.

The river seemed shallow for it didn’t stretch out very wide. Hana could see the sandy floor and all the rocks and tiny fish that floated about just beneath the water’s surface. As they kept going forward, the river expanded further and further, all the way until they reached its mouth.

Once they did so, the man hopped off of his horse and took hold of the reins from Hana, leading both her and the animal further on. He was doing so with a hurried rush to his steps. Hana wondered for a moment if she should say something, to ask him to slow down, but she snapped her mouth shut when the man spoke ahead of her.

“We need to get there before sunset,” he said, as if he read Hana’s thoughts. She did notice it was starting to get late, but she didn’t expect it to be such a big deal. “You may stay with us tonight, but after that, I ask that you leave.”

Hana’s heart dropped, and her chest seized so tightly she struggled to breathe.

“B—But where will I go? I don’t even know where we are!”

“You’re not far from the French alps,” he said as if it was a non-issue for him. “Just west of it, actually.”

 _“France?”_ she cursed under her breath, biting her thumb. Then, just above a whisper, “I was _so close_ to Gibraltar.”

The man froze in place at that. He said nothing, simply turning his head and giving her a vicious side-eye. Even from this angle, Hana could see the deep frown and crease of his brows as he studied her—or, whatever he was doing.

After his eyes flickered to the sunset looming beyond the horizon, he fell out of his pause and continued rushing forward. Hana shuddered, rubbing her hands along her arms. This man continued to be so _creepy_ and menacing. The pistol in her _jeogori_ was a comforting weight against her skin, reminding her to sleep with one eye open that night.

“We’re here.”

Hana’s jaw dropped at the sight before her. They reached a hidden area surrounded by cliffs, with a waterfall rushing down into the river they had been following. She noticed a little area beneath the cliffs, not quite a cave but certainly closed off from the rest of the basin. There was already a camp set up there with a fire pit and other supplies.

She was simply relieved that this strange man wasn’t lying to her about having shelter. The fatigue from the day suddenly rushed through her and she longed to rest, hoping that the area would be safe enough that she could do so.

The man tied up his horse to a tree by the reins, and he urged for Hana to get off so he could remove its saddle and bags. Hana stepped away to wander about the camp, making note that the area was surrounded by a dense wall of trees. She could only hope it was enough to drive off Talon from their trail.

Hana spun around to watch the man again, seeing that the horse was free of everything but the straps of its reins that kept it tethered. The stranger was removing the cloak which had been covering most of his body, and he folded it up as neatly as he could, setting it down on a branch of the same tree. Hana could finally see his clothes now, but the details were difficult to make out from the waning light.

While she didn’t know the terminology, she did recognize the Japanese style. He wore a decorated, black robe tied with a bright blue sash and his black pants had a golden fish scale texture to them. Absently, she noticed that they ended before his knees, where metal plates covered the rest of his legs down to his feet. Prosthetics, perhaps? She thought better than to pry on what may be a sensitive topic.

“I will scout ahead,” the man finally spoke up, drawing Hana’s attention. “Stay here. Get some rest. I will be back in the morning.”

“ _Morning?!_ ” she screeched, exasperated beyond measure with this difficult man, “shouldn’t _you_ be the one to sleep?”

“I do not have time to argue with you. There is firewood and some lighters in the top crate for the fire pit,” he enunciated this with a point of his finger to said crate before turning around and heading back into the forest, “good night.”

He left without another word, walking off and quickly vanishing amongst the trees.

* * *

 

Hana tried to sleep as soon as the stranger left. The world went black not long after he was gone, and she struggled to build a fire with the very dim daylight that remained. Setting up the fire helped ease many of her anxieties when it came to being alone in the forest at night, but it still just wasn’t enough.

She found two sleepings bags and some blankets in one crate, taking them out to build herself a makeshift bed. One crate contained many sets of  clothes—flannel and jeans, which didn’t at _all_ match the stranger’s traditional Japanese attire—and another was filled with non-perishable food. MREs, she soon realized once she popped it open and found all the boxes with the bold words “Ration de Combat Individuelle Réchauffable” on the label. It would suffice, for her stomach growled as soon as food came to mind. It would be far from her first experience with military food, after all.

None of it was enough to quell her fears. Stomach full, fire blazing, and tucked up in numerous blankets, she still could only stare out at the forest with eyes wide open. She kept her pistol under her pillow as an extra precaution. Talon could appear at any moment and blindside her. It was too risky to doze off.

Suddenly, she heard movement nearby. Snaps of twigs and rustling of leaves forced her to spring to her feet. She didn’t hesitate to grab her pistol, turning off the safety and slowly crawling her way out of the little closed-off area.

There was a man— _completely naked_ —a different man from before, standing behind the horse and in the process of removing the cloak that had been left on the branch. The horse was standing now, and fortunately covered up the man’s crotch. Hana could still see his nude chest and legs, and she repressed a gag as she instead aimed her pistol right at his head.

When she stepped around the corner, the man finally noticed her. At first he only froze, holding the cloak just high enough to cover his torso. All he really did was stare at her with squinted eyes, looking dumbfounded.

“Who in the hell’re you?”

“Who are _you_?!” she asked with an accusatory screech.

“I asked you first,” the man grumbled. He seemed completely unfazed by the gun pointed to his head as he lifted the cloak and draped it over his shoulders. It covered nearly his entire body, save for his calves and feet. “Are you a thief or did Hanzo bring you here?”

“Hanzo?” she only now realized the stranger from before never shared his name, “I met a man who brought me here, and he… he wore Japanese clothing.”

“That’s him alright,” he said with a nonchalant tone, “he don’t usually take a likin’ to strangers.”

“So I noticed…” Hana grumbled at the memory of Hanzo’s rudeness from before. “Where is he?”

“Uh… I don’t know. Reckon he’ll be back soon, though.” The man had been standing behind the horse throughout this conversation, but he finally moved around it towards Hana, with his arms held up. Or—as Hana quickly noticed—his single arm. “Put the gun down, kid. I ain’t gonna hurt ya.” He offered a soft smile. It seemed sincere.

Hana wasn’t buying it. She kept her pistol poised high. “How do I know you’re not with Talon?”

“ _Talon_?! What’s a little girl like you doin’ messin’ around with those clowns?”

“Those _clowns_ have been chasing me all over this forest! They crashed my transport to Gibraltar and now… now…” she paused, heaved, all of her stress finally hitting her at once, and tears pricked at her eyes, “I—I don’t know what to do.”

“Woah, woah,” his hands were still out, despite the fact that Hana wavered the gun down, “did you say Gibraltar?”

Hana answered with a shaky nod. She finally let the gun sit against her hip as her emotions overwhelmed her in a rush.

“Hey, hey, you’re okay,” the stranger said softly, and with gentle caution he set his large, warm hand on Hana’s shoulder, “my name is Jesse. Jesse McCree. I’m a former member of Overwatch. Maybe I can help you?”

She sniffled, wiping at her nose with her sleeve. “McCree? I recognize the name… you left Overwatch years ago, how could you possibly help me?”

McCree chuckled at that and added a casual shrug. “You’ve got a fair point there. Thing is, we’re on our way to Gibraltar, too. There’s been a recall and they want me back.”

“And Overwatch will help me, right?”

“Of course. It’s what they do.”

She wanted the help, but felt unease at the stranger’s prospect. How could she know that he was being sincere? Yet also… what other choice did she have?

Hana sighed heavily and she brushed McCree’s hand off her shoulder, maneuvering her way back to the fire and her makeshift bed. He followed, but kept his distance, sitting down on his knees and facing her from the other side of the fire. Hana held her knees up to her chest, staring blankly at the flames.

When she felt ready, Hana finally said, “Someone dear to me was taken by Talon. Overwatch is my only hope of bringing her home safely.”

Silence passed for a moment before McCree clicked his tongue, and he asked, “What’s your name?”

A slight hesitation. “Hana. Song Hana.”

“Get some rest, Hana. I’ll be sure to let Hanzo know, but we’re gettin’ you to Gibraltar no matter what. I swear it.”

She wrapped one of the blankets around herself. “You won’t leave?”

“Nah. I’ll be right here. Ain’t nothin’s gonna hurt you on my watch.”

Despite the lingering unease, Hana felt safe with him nearby. Jesse McCree was a famed gunslinger, after all. If anyone could protect her from Talon forces, it would be him. Not only that, but she was exhausted from the day.

Sleep came to her almost as soon as she laid down.

* * *

 

At some point, Hana stirred awake by the distinct noise of a conversation. She blinked as she pried her eyes open, burning a bit when they spotted the fire, which had by now reduced itself as the wood was burning out. Her eyes followed the noise, until they latched on to Jesse McCree.

He finally put some clothes on, dressed in flannel and jeans. He was wearing cowboy boots and a hat, too. If Hana had been more cognizant, she surely would’ve laughed at the sight. A cowboy wandering about southern France must have been quite the sight for locals.

More importantly, she saw that McCree held a device in his one hand, and he was watching intently at the blue light bursting from its screen. A holovid. She was too far away to see who was speaking in the recording, but the voice did sound familiar. She tried to focus in on the words, purely from curiosity by this point.

 _...I wish you could have seen the piers in Marseille, Jesse. So many boats strewn about._ The voice laughed, low and soft. _Maybe we can return here someday, together. After… everything. I want you to see the Mediterranean when the waters are blue, not black._ A pause, and a sigh. _It is almost time, I should be going. I love you, Jesse._

A short beep, and the video blinked away.

The smile Jesse made after the video’s end was wide, burning brightly all over his face. Hana could only see him from a profile view, but even then, she could tell just how soft and warm his smile was.

Yet in his eyes, she saw despair.


	2. Chapter 2

Sunlight drifted between the canopy as the world became alive once more. The forest filled with warm colours as the light reflected amongst the autumn leaves, shades of gold and orange blending together seamlessly. A stark contrast from the other, more dense side of the forest, where hardly any light was able to seep through.

Hana blinked wearily due to one beam that shone directly into her eyes. She rubbed them open and yawned as she pulled herself off the sleeping bag to sit up.

“Morning.”

The voice startled her, until she opened her eyes again and saw the stranger from before amongst the campsite. _Hanzo_ , she remembered. He looked disheveled, his topknot had come undone and messy black locks curled around his face. There was another man, Hana recalled, but he didn’t seem to be around. Hana looked about, trying to spot him, but ultimately, it was only the two of them. And the horse.

Oh. And the eagle from before. Hana hadn’t seen it since it flew off the evening prior, but now it was back, sitting on Hanzo’s arm brace and giving her a wide-eyed stare.

“Where’s the cowboy?” she murmured, yawning again after she spoke.

Hanzo didn’t answer immediately and his entire body tensed up by the question. After a few moments, he schooled his expression into indifference and he finally said, “So you met Jesse.”  
  
Hana frowned, not pleased by how accusatory his tone was. “Was I not supposed to?”  
  
“It does not matter,” Hanzo said as he stood and walked over to the tree where the horse remained tied up. He moved his arm toward a branch and the eagle shuffled onto it without any squawks of complaint. “I assumed he would run into you sooner or later.”  
  
Hana wasn’t entirely sure what Hanzo meant by that, but decided against questioning it.

Instead, she opted for, “How do you know a former member of Overwatch, anyway? Jesse McCree disappeared _years_ ago, and I find him here, with you, in The Middle of Nowhere, France!” Hana was steadily becoming exasperated, her arms moving about with her words.  
  
Hanzo only gave her a hard stare. Hana went silent as she waited for a response, her arms settling down against her sides. Hanzo simply averted his gaze, sighed deeply, and took a few steps towards her.  
When he stood directly before Hana, he finally said, “It is not your concern. Our relationship has nothing to do with you.”  
  
Hana wasn’t about to back off, no matter how coldly he looked at her. “I’m sorry, Hanzo, but I don’t feel like I can trust you. You aren’t exactly making that easier”  
  
“Of course Jesse told you my name,” he grumbled under his breath with an eyeroll, crossing his arms.  
  
“And McCree promised last night that he would help me! He said you’re both going to Gibraltar and—”  
  
Hanzo opened his mouth to interrupt her, but instead, the eagle from before let out a loud cry and flapped his wings at them. Hanzo froze completely, staring at the eagle with a blank gaze. Moments passed before he finally turned back to face Hana, and he groaned, rubbing at his forehead.  
  
“What am I doing?” The question was directed only to himself. Before Hana could say a word, Hanzo moved past her, towards the campsite.  
  
Hana didn’t follow. Frustration couldn’t even begin to describe how she felt. This man was impossible to please and she wished McCree was here instead. At least McCree treated her with respect.  
  
The eagle cawed softly, bringing her out of her reverie. When she took a glance at him, she saw that his brilliant golden eyes were gazing right at her. She stepped closer, maintaining eye contact, and the eagle made a few more quiet noises, shuffling his feathers. On closer inspection, she could see just how beautiful he was. His feathers were all gorgeous colours, ranging between a deep brown all the way up to gold. There were white streaks along the tips of his wings and tail feathers.  
  
“Do not touch him.” Hanzo’s voice was startling, and she instantly drew away from the eagle.  
  
“I wasn’t—”  
  
Everything froze and her chest seized as soon as she spun around to face Hanzo. He was closer now, having stood just a few feet behind her. Lying between them was a bubblegum pink hardshell suitcase. _Her_ suitcase. Words escaped Hana and she was absolutely stunned. Never did she expect to see this again.  
  
“This is all that was salvageable from the wreckage,” Hanzo’s voice remained flat but his face was not stuck in a grimace, for once. He was simply expressionless. Perhaps there was a hint of remorse beneath his eyes.  
  
Hana sank to her knees, her hands shaking as she reached for the zipper. Inside, there were mainly clothes. Outfits she meticulously planned to bring during her trip to Gibraltar. Plenty of casual wear, some battle armour, and a warm outfit for the inevitable winter that was fast approaching.  
  
She didn’t care about any of that, not really. There was something more important packed into this suitcase, something she was certain she’d lost forever. When her fingers felt the glass panel, she pulled it out and couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped her lips. The glass cracked from the crash, but it didn’t matter. She could find a new frame. The photo of her and Yuna—a selfie of them Hana took during Yuna’s last birthday—was carefully plucked out of the frame. Hana pressed it against her chest. Tears were spilling from her eyes before she even noticed.  
  
“When did you—”  
  
Hanzo answered her question before she could finish, “Why do you think I was out all night?”  
  
That ignited something within Hana, something warm and bright. This man, this complete stranger, went out of his way to salvage her possessions—including her most precious one of all—and what did she thank him with? Harsh words and distrust.  
  
That still didn’t excuse his abysmal behaviour, but Hana would set that aside for now.  
  
“Thank you,” she murmured without hesitation, wiping her tears away with her sleeve.  
  
“It was not a problem.” That was all Hanzo said before he spun around. “We need to move out soon, before Talon finds us. You may change clothes if you wish, I will set up the wagon.”  
  
“‘We?’”  
  
Hanzo paused at that, turning his head to give her a firm side-eye from over his shoulder. “I will abide Jesse’s wish and take you to Gibraltar.” He paused briefly, smirking. “Unless you prefer to stay here?”

“N—No…”

Hanzo chuckled, and hearing him express an emotion that wasn’t anger or indifference was so shocking that Hana’s mouth hung open. He only shrugged at her as he moved over to the campsite and began gathering the supplies together.

Hana, on the other hand, didn’t waste any time in being rid of her tattered Hanbok. She brought herself a little ways into the forest for some privacy from Hanzo, and instantly took the garment off. It was unfortunate to see just how ruined it was from yesterday, but she could always get a replacement. More importantly, she was positively relieved to be able to wear casual clothes again. Once she changed, she undid her long braid that had become messy by yesterday’s events. The hair flowed freely down her back in waves.

Since the Hanbok was ruined beyond repair, she decided against returning it to the suitcase. After leaving it to hang on a tree branch, she made her way back to camp.

* * *

 

Hana’s second night on the road was almost just as difficult as the first. Sleep evaded her again, so she tried to distract herself with mediocre video games on the handheld console she retrieved from her suitcase. Whenever those weren’t enough, she would rummage around in Hanzo and McCree’s supplies until she found something interesting.

Hanzo, once again, ran off at twilight and she was left alone. They managed to leave the forest where she initially landed, taking a longer route in order to go around and avoid where they traveled through yesterday, as a precaution. While they had yet to see any Talon soldiers that might have lingered around the area, Hana’s anxieties were difficult to quench.

McCree, too, was nowhere to be seen. Hana tried to pry some information on his whereabouts from Hanzo, but he kept his lips sealed tight. She was extremely confused on their whole situation. They knew each other, sure, so then why were they never together? Was McCree even travelling alongside them.

Then she eyed the supply crate filled with flannel and jeans and she knew the answer.

Quite some time passed in which she remained alone, curled up in front of the fire. She munched her way through her second MRE of the night, waiting for her body to exhaust itself enough that she could sleep. The pistol remained at her side just in case a Talon agent popped up.

She heard McCree’s arrival before she saw him. Again, it was the noises of someone stepping over twigs and rustling leaves before he showed up, wearing nothing but the long cloak. The horse noticed him before Hana did, and it rose from the ground to walk towards McCree as far as the tether would allow.

“Hey there, Dusty, old girl,” McCree chirped as he met with the horse, giving her some pets on her long nose.

“So you came back.”

McCree started at Hana’s words, turning his attention to her with wide eyes. He froze for a few moments before he broke into a wide grin and waved.

“Howdy! So I take it Hanzo’s helpin’ you out?” McCree moved away from Dusty, around the fire, over to the crate that contained all his clothes, and he began shuffling through.

“If you could call it that,” Hana said, taking a bite of her candy bar. McCree laughed.

“He warms up to everyone eventually. Takes time.” He pulled some clothes out, turned away from Hana’s view, and began putting some on. _Was he just always naked?_

Hana waited for him to finish changing before responding, but she found herself staring as McCree reached back into the crate and pulled out an… _arm_? It was made entirely of metal, the orange light of the fire reflecting on the shiny exterior. She watched in silence as McCree connected the prosthetic to a socket at the end of a stub where his left arm once was. The device whirred, clicked, and a series of bright blue lights lit up from within.

McCree turned to face her, catching her staring, but he only smiled. He rose the arm and wiggled the fingers a bit.

“Forgot to mention this last time, huh?”

Hana nodded silently.

McCree tossed her a shrug and said, “It ain’t really a big deal, I promise. More importantly, how’re you holdin’ up?” McCree moved about as he spoke to her, reaching into a different crate to pull out a burlap sack. Hana hadn’t an idea what the contents were until she saw him step over to Dusty, who stuffed his face in the bag and began eating.

Hana simply shrugged, taking another bite of her candy bar. Yesterday’s events were still taking a bit of a toll on her. Despite her normally optimistic and cheerful display, she couldn’t help but feel fatigued and at a loss as for what to do.

She didn’t even want to think about what she would’ve done if she never ran into Hanzo. Talon probably would’ve found and killed her by now.

Hana didn’t realize how long she’d remained silent until she looked up to catching McCree gazing at her with a forlorn expression.

“That bad, huh?” he said softly.

Everything overflowed at once. Her fears, her fatigue, and especially her uncertainty for the future came pouring out from her eyes like faucets. She sniffled and tried to wipe them away with her sleeve, but it just kept going. She sighed with her frustration.

Hana had a facade to maintain. An image. Crying was a weakness—something that showed her vulnerability. She grew more and more angry with herself the more she tried and failed to make it stop.

“Woah, hey, hey,” McCree said as he set the bag of oats down and rushed to Hana’s side. He sat beside her, his hands hovering over her shoulders, but without touching. “It’s okay, Hana, just take it easy. Deep breaths.”

Hana heaved, shoving her face against her knees and wrapping her arms around herself. It wasn’t until she did this that McCree let his flesh hand fall on her upper back, and he began rubbing his hand along her spine as an attempt to comfort her.

They remained there for some time. McCree’s subtle touch was more of a help than Hana expected. A physical reminder that, no, she is no longer alone, and she has been able to so far trust the two men who have offered their help. The tears ceased ever so slowly, but once they did, she wiped the leftovers away and tried to pull herself back together.

It was then that McCree drew his hand away, and he gave her some distance.

Silence rang all around them, before McCree suddenly said, “How old did you say you were again?”

Hana sniffed. “I didn’t.” She paused, gave a deep breath, and murmured, “Nineteen.”

“Nineteen?!” McCree exclaimed, “So young, and you’re goin’ through all this, huh?”

Hana nodded. McCree made himself comfortable, sitting down just a bit away from her, but close enough that he was within arm’s reach. Hana watched as he pulled a cigar from beneath his cloak, his face glowing orange for a brief moment as he lit it. He blew the smoke away from her, and she watched it swirl into the air.

“If you don’ mind me bein’ nosy, you mind tellin’ me why Talon’s after you?”

“I don’t know,” Hana murmured, her voice shaky and weak.

McCree hummed.

“Okay, so—what’s your story? Up until Han and I met you. Talon only goes after certain people, y’know?”

Her story? Hana bent her brows, trying to think of what she could say.

“There… isn’t much to tell, really. I’m from Busan. I was recently involved in professional e-sports.”

“E-sports?”

“Like, video games! I competed in games with others.” Hana finally pulled a wide grin. “And I was _good_ at it! Me and Yuna—”

She froze and the tears threatened to spill once again.

McCree waited patiently for only so long, “Yuna?”

“My… g—girlfriend.”

McCree hummed, “I see. So, what then? You said Talon took someone from you. It was Yuna, wasn’t it?”

Hana could only answer with a shaky nod.

“Yuna wasn’t involved with them, was she?”

“N—Not that I knew of, no.”

McCree paused, taking a drag of his cigar, and he hummed audibly. Thinking, perhaps. Instead, he diverted into a new subject.

“So, after these, uh… video games and such. What then?”

“Yuna and I joined the military when we turned 18.” Hana hummed, thinking of what she could say that wasn’t confidential to the MEKA program. Perhaps this was vague enough, “We’re both in this, like, special unit. Beast and Tokki—that’s our codenames. We’ve been doing this for the last year. Then one day, Yuna was just… taken away. I had to watch it happen. I couldn’t even do anything to stop it.”

McCree didn’t even address her military experience, instead moving on.

“How’d you get Overwatch involved in all this? Honestly, that’s what I’m most curious about.”

“Actually, they came to me first,” Hana explained, slowly growing a bit annoyed at all of McCree’s questions. But if it would help, then she would oblige. “They told me that they could help me get her back. They sent a transport carrier to Busan that would take me back to Gibraltar, but then… well, you know.”

McCree took a deep inhale of his cigar, blowing all the smoke into the air. His eyes blankly watched the smoke as it swirled around the fire until it was gone. He then stubbed what remained on his metal arm, tossing it aside.

“So they don’t want you comin’ after her.” His voice had gone dangerously low and gritty, a stark contrast from his usually warm and kind tone. “That pisses me _right off_.”

Hana froze at McCree’s abruptly harsh tone. Yet also, she was a bit astounded to see how quickly McCree came to that conclusion. All this time, Hana hadn’t a clue why Talon would try to kill her. McCree’s eyes shifted with his thoughts, rapid and calculating.

McCree’s next, and final, question caught her completely off guard. His angry demeanor fizzled out so quickly that Hana hardly noticed.

“What’s ‘Tokki’ mean?” McCree glanced over at her nonchalantly, as if it was the most normal conversationally change on the planet.

“Huh?”

“You said you and your girl went by ‘Beast and Tokki.’”

“O—Oh,” Hana chuckled a bit, suddenly embarrassed by the silly codename, “it means ‘bunny.’”

McCree’s grin was wider than ever. “Bunny, huh? That’s adorable.”

“Quiet, you,” she teased, playfully throwing a punch at his shoulder. “Only _close_ friends can call me that!”

McCree winked and gave her a two-finger salute, “I hear ya. Just ‘Hana’, yeah?”

Hana’s answer was a swift nod. Not that she was necessarily against nicknames, but that one was something between her and Yuna only. Something far too special and personal.

Suddenly, McCree stood, stretching out his back with an audible _crack_. Hana watched as he darted back to the crates and began digging through them again.

“So,” he said as he searched, “we’ll get you to Gibraltar for sure. I can’t promise that we can help after that, but you’ll have Overwatch to help.”

Hana frowned.

“You… aren’t rejoining Overwatch?”

McCree froze. His eyes went hazy and blank. He stood, slowly, and Hana noticed him carrying a device in one hand. The same holovid recorder from last night.

“No. I ain’t, and I ain’t in the mood to talk about it, either. Sorry, Hana.”

Hana simply nodded, understanding. She wouldn’t pry if it was a sore subject. Though she did feel a bit bitter about it, after spilling so much to McCree. But then again, she did so willingly.

McCree shuffled in place a bit, fumbling over the holovid recorder. Until he finally spoke up.

“It’s late, get some rest, Hana. I’ll see you later.”

He then turned on the device, turned around to walk away, and began recording himself. Hana only heard the first bit of what he said, which was addressed to Hanzo. Once he was far enough away, his words were no longer audible.

It was no matter. Hana curled up amongst her blankets, laying down and facing away from the fire. It wasn’t long before the day’s exhaustion finally caught up to her.


	3. Chapter 3

Traveling itself was definitely the most grueling part of their journey to Gibraltar. Hanzo refused to let Hana ride with him on the horse, instead leaving her to sit in the wagon alongside their cargo. It was a rather large wagon—big enough for Hanzo and McCree’s supplies—but too small for her to sit comfortably inside. Even with how small she was, it was still far too cramped.

More annoyingly, the eagle was always catching a ride on Hanzo’s arm. Why a _bird_ could travel comfortably but not her, she could only suspect. Either way, it was irritating. The eagle would fly off often, sometimes for hours, but whenever he returned, he never left Hanzo’s side. As soon as Hana was out of the way, the damn eagle was all Hanzo cared about.

Hana could even hear him coo and whisper sweetly to the eagle, acting as if the animal could understand him. And it wasn’t quite the same as a pet owner praising their dog or cat. It was more like Hanzo was speaking to a _person_.

 _No way,_ Hana would remind herself. _He’s just a weirdo,_ was her conclusion.

The journey through the French countryside was arduous. Hanzo would only allow them to stop in civilization to pick up food or for the even more rare occasion of sleeping in an inn instead of the forest floor. With everything Hana had been through, she simply enjoyed the luxuries of plumbing and mattresses while they lasted. Hanzo, however, refused to take in those indulgences. Sometimes he would take a shower, but nothing more. Despite the option, he chose to remain outside.

It was a bit touching, Hana soon realized, that Hanzo would spend the money on her just for that.

Or perhaps it was McCree’s idea. That was probably the case.

Hanzo’s distrust of her wasn’t as strong as before, but his shit attitude never changed. At the very least, he was no longer a _complete_ drag to be around.

Hana was exhausted by the travel after a week, and dramatically groaned once Hanzo told her it would be a couple more. Hanzo was leading them around the Mediterranean until they reached the southern tip of Spain. On horseback, no less.

Hana didn’t mind the long trip, but she was a bit bothered at how much longer it would take since Hanzo absolutely refused to travel at night. He always stopped them as soon as twilight began, if not earlier. Only ever helped Hana set up camp before disappearing until morning. Of course, Hanzo always had a different excuse, whether it was to collect firewood or to scout ahead, he would always return the next morning looking ragged and disheveled. Hana wondered if he ever slept. If the bags under his eyes that he tried to hide with his eyeliner was any indication, then no.

Along that same line, McCree only ever returned to camp after the sun had already set. Never with an explanation of where he was during the day, and he would always avoid the question when Hana asked.

Despite how odd the entire situation was, Hana tried not to pay too much attention to it. But it was slowly becoming more and more difficult to do so.

It was only a matter of time before she decided enough was enough. She decided to try following Hanzo the next time he ran off.

* * *

 

By now, they were leaving France and approaching Basque country. Hanzo settled them down for the night, just barely within the forest along the French-Spanish border. They fell a bit behind schedule and sunset was fast approaching, so he was in a panic, trying to rush off before everything on camp was properly set up.

“Remember to give Dusty his oats,” Hanzo said as he was pulling off the feathered cloak and hanging it on the closest branch, “I will scout ahead, since we will be crossing the border tomorrow. Take care.” Just like that, he was gone, rushing off into the forest without another word.

Hana gave him about five minutes—she fed Dusty and made sure he was securely fastened to a tree—before running off in the same direction he left. She made an attempt to be as quiet as she could, but with the autumn leaves coating the forest floor, that was nearly impossible from all the crunching noises her boots made. Nevertheless, she pressed onward.

She spent the better part of ten minutes trying to find him within the direction she followed, to no avail. At one point she had to lean against a tree, her chest heaving from all the running she had done in an attempt to catch up to him. Hanzo must have booked it, or he was just excellent at hiding from her. When she finally accepted her defeat, cursing to herself for fucking it up so royally, she spun around and began making her way to camp. The sun was mere minutes from setting completely, and her field of vision was rapidly depleting. Panic began to set in as the forest grew darker and darker as she tried to speed back to the camp.

She froze completely when she heard a howl. A _wolf’s_ howl. It sounded like it was nearby.

That set her off entirely. She heaved, her eyes welling up with tears faster than she could process. Her legs were petrified and she couldn’t move forward anymore, despite how badly she wanted to return to the safety of the camp. She crouched down, making herself as small as possible, hugging tightly around her legs and burying her face on her knees.

It was too dark now to get back, and sheer terror rushed through her. If the wolves found her instead of Hanzo or McCree, she was definitely dead. She didn’t even have the comfort of her pistol, for she stupidly left it at the camp. _Idiot!_ Hana chastised herself, feeling like a goddamn fool for doing this.

_Where was Hanzo?_

That single thought kept her from being consumed by the chaos within her mind. Yet Hanzo’s image was quickly replaced, now that she knew night had fallen. So then...

_Where was McCree? She needed his help —_

“Hana!”

A voice. A familiar voice. It was nearby, but Hana was too terrified to look up. She huddled her body closer, making herself even smaller.

“Hana,” the voice was mere feet away now, “there you are! You had me worried.”

That drew her attention, and she peered up cautiously. She squinted and blinked from the blinding flashlight just before her, before they finally focused on the cowboy staring down at her. He was all dressed up in his usual jeans and flannel, but this time without the cloak. His face was contorted and creased with obvious concern.

McCree crouched down before her, setting the flashlight to sit on the forest floor. His large hands settled on her shoulders and he spoke softly, “You alright there, cottontail?”

She snorted, the unexpected pet name helping her draw herself back out. “‘Cottontail?’”

“Figured that’d be the next best thing from ‘Bunny’,” McCree chuckled with a rumble. He grabbed the flashlight and stood, offering his hand out to Hana. “C’mon, let’s get you outta here.”

Warmth overwhelmed Hana upon McCree arriving to help, and she took the extended hand, letting herself be pulled up. The wolf howled again, this time sounding _much_ closer. She instantly pressed closer to McCree, her eyes wide and darting all around them despite not being able to see beyond the darkness.

McCree grunted. Hana glanced up at him. His face had creased back into a serious one, his mouth set into a hard line and his eyes staring blankly into the distance. After a moment, he finally turned both of them around.

“Let’s go, it ain’t safe here.”

Hana allowed him to lead the way. She felt significantly safer with McCree around, but she still couldn’t shake her anxiety from the forest’s other dangers. Especially that of the wolves.

“Will we… still be safe at the camp? With the wolves around?” Her voice shook a bit, but she swallowed thickly around her fears.

“Don’t you worry, I’ll make sure nothin’ hurts ya. I’ll stay up all damn night if I have to,” he threw her a wide grin as he spoke, “‘sides, I only hear one wolf. A lone wolf can’t do nothin’.”

“How can you be sure?”

McCree’s expression went blank, but it was brief. The warm smile was back on his face in an instant. “Trust me, I’ve got plenty of experience with lone wolves.”

Hana went silent at that. She was puzzled, yet also relieved. She let herself believe in McCree’s words and allowed him to take charge of the situation. He brought her back to the camp and made her a warm meal from the leftover game of one of Hanzo’s hunts. Hana wrapped herself up in her usual blanket burrito as she ate by the fire, and McCree joined her.

“Han’s catches always taste better,” McCree mused aloud while they ate, “bullets tarnish the meat.”

Hana simply nodded in response, still a bit too shaken up to speak. McCree noticed, paused his meal to give her a cautionary glance.

“You doin’ alright there, Cottontail?”

A smile creeped its way onto Hana’s face. “That’s still a weird nickname,” she laughed lightly.

“Hush, you. Everybody I know gets one.”

That left her with pause. She frowned, glancing up at the cowboy.

“Oh, really? Even Hanzo?”

“ _Especially_ Hanzo.”

Hana laughed aloud, her anxieties slipping further away as McCree helped her become more comfortable. It was something he excelled at, as he radiated nothing but warmth. The wolf’s howls and proximity were nothing but a distant memory by now.

“Okay, okay,” Hana giggled, and she set down her plate, giving McCree her full attention, “you _have_ to tell me.”

McCree snorted, “He won’t be happy if I do.”

“ _Please?_ He’s not here, I won’t tell.”

The cowboy sighed, gave her a hard stare, and set down his plate as well. He scooted closer to Hana, his voice dropping low, “See, Han is special. He gets all the good ones.” McCree grinned wildly, bringing his hands up and counting off his fingers, “Sweetheart. Pumpkin. Cupcake. Just to name a few. But nothin’ beats my favourite: _mi querido._ ”

Hana’s eyes went wide, her brows rising to her hairline. “You and Hanzo—?”

McCree froze before realization dawned on his face, and he pulled away to run a hand through his hair, chuckling. “Aw, hell, we never told you, huh? Yeah, we… we’re in love, to put it bluntly.”

“I wondered if that was the case,” Hana huffed, grinning, “you two seemed close.”

“Heh, you’ve got _no_ idea.” McCree then frowned immediately, looking apologetic. “Didn’t mean to hide anythin’ from ya, I swear. Figured Hanzo would’ve, though.”

“He… doesn’t say much to me at all.” Hana frowned at the thought, her eyes drifting over to gaze blankly into the flickering flames. All throughout the trip, Hanzo only spoke when he _had_ to. Hana would try to begin conversations only to be immediately brushed aside or outright ignored.

McCree watched her, his own face reflecting the melancholic atmosphere. Finally, he sighed, and murmured, “Han’s just like that. Takes time for him to trust someone.”

Hana only answered with a small noise as she reached for her food and began to finish off the last of it. McCree kept his eyes on her for a bit, until he finally let the conversation drop entirely.

“You ought to get some rest, Cottontail. I’ll keep watch.”

Hana agreed, albeit reluctantly. She finished up and settled into the sleeping bag, keeping the blankets curled around her.

As sleep overtook her, she could hear McCree mumbling something into the holovid recorder. She wondered if it had become a ritual between them both.

Yet why couldn’t they just travel together?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very filler-y chapter. More stuff happens in the next I promise >:3c


	4. Chapter 4

Gibraltar was close. After weeks of travel, they had less than a quarter day’s journey before they would finally arrive at the Watchpoint along the cliffs. Hana had heard countless stories of Overwatch over their decades of operation as an international peace organization, but she never expected to be able to see it for herself.

The thought was enticing, but she had to remember she was here for business, not pleasure. Finding and rescuing Yuna with their help was her priority. She could only hope that nothing significant happened while her trip from Busan was delayed by three weeks.

Hanzo, of course, forced them to stop and set up camp within a clearing beside a forest. Familiar territory, no doubt. Throughout their entire trip, Hanzo always tried to keep away from the cities, using the trees as shields instead. When they stopped this time, it was _hours_ before the sunset. Hana wasn’t pleased, and simply wanted to arrive at their destination as soon as they possibly could.

“There’s still time, you know,” she opted as a way to bring up her concerns, “we don’t need to set up camp this early.”

Hanzo halted in his tracks from what he was doing, turning his attention to Hana with a deep frown. “We would not make it before sunset. We will be there tomorrow.”

Hana huffed. She held out her arms, which were carrying the sleeping bag and blankets she had claimed, and let the items drop to the ground dramatically. Hanzo only gave her a blank stare, his brows knitting as his frown deepened.

Hanzo opened his mouth to speak, but Hana beat him to it, “ _Why_ does it matter?! We’re only _hours_ away, Hanzo!” She stepped over the pile she created and stood directly before him, a finger jutting out and poking his chest. “We’re just wasting time!”

“You understand _nothing_ ,” Hanzo hissed, backing away from her finger involuntarily.

“Then _explain_ it to me!” Hana pressed on, throwing up her arms from her frustration. Hanzo simply stared at her, eyes narrowed and his mouth set in a deep grimace.

Those dark eyes flickered away briefly, glancing behind and above Hana. Within an instant, they went wide as saucers.

“Get down!”

Hanzo shoved Hana away just in time, the crack of the gunfire echoing throughout the clearing. She froze from that sound, countless images flashing through her mind, all of memories she wished she could erase. She’d already seen so many die—she didn’t want it to happen again. Yuna… the horror of her face when she was taken away by Talon.

There was a long moment before she managed to shake the thoughts away, only able to do so because of Hanzo’s incessant hollering. She blinked and her eyes caught movement within the trees above them, but it was brief. Too brief to see what caused it.

Hanzo, however, caught sight of it even before she did. One hand of his gripped his bow and the other was reaching back for an arrow as he gave chase, disappearing into the dense line of trees. Hana darted to follow him, hardly realizing that her feet were carrying her forward. She simply _needed_ to.

The forest thinned out as they all moved further inside. Hana was barely able to keep her eyes on Hanzo at first, but when the trees gave way, she could see him much more clearly. She followed him at a distance, soon realizing that he had finally stopped. His attention was all around him, darting back and forth along the canopy, trying to spot the movement from before.

When he noticed Hana, he paused, his face flying into rage.

“Leave!” he roared.

Hana froze in place, catching sight of the figure behind Hanzo, within the higher branches above. There was a woman, clad in skin-tight clothing. Oddly enough, there was a device covering her eyes, and all Hana could see were a handful of crimson red orbs. Somehow, she was hanging upside-down from the tallest branch. It reminded Hana of a spider, trailing down on its web.

Another red glow caught her eye, and Hana’s breath stopped once she realized the woman was aiming her sniper rifle right at them.

Before the gun could fire, an eagle’s cry echoed from above.

The eagle from before—Hanzo’s companion, his friend—ruptured through the canopy and tried to attack the woman with its talons. She screamed, releasing whatever mechanism kept her hanging from the branch and she used it to swing down until she landed softly on the ground.

Hana didn’t hesitate to whip out her pistol, pushing past Hanzo’s resistance to fire three rounds right at the woman. She noticed Hana’s fire soon enough to dodge it, hiding behind the very same tree she’d been attached too just before.

It wasn’t until she got a closer look, but Hana recognized the woman now. It was Widowmaker, the very same sniper who took Yuna away from her on that fateful day. Tears flooded with rage spilled from her eyes before she even noticed, and she kept firing at the tree until her pistol clicked, ammo depleted.

“Hana!” Hanzo reached out and firmly gripped her shooting arm, trying to pull her back, “get somewhere safe. Let me handle her.”

Hana was surprised at how gentle and understanding his tone had become. She heaved, and let her arm droop down, the pink pistol clattering to the forest floor. When she turned and looked into Hanzo’s gaze, his eyes that were normally so cold were filled with a sympathetic warmth.

The eagle screeched from above them. A warning.

Hanzo’s eyes turned to solid ice once more and he nocked his arrow, cautiously stepping closer to the tree Widowmaker hid behind. Hana bent over to pick up her gun before darting behind a trunk, but not without leaning over just enough to watch. Just in case it was needed, she pulled out the empty clip of ammo, inserting a new one that she clicked into place.

Everything happened so fast.

Widowmaker darted from behind the tree, tossing some sort of device at Hanzo that burst in his face, leaving him to cough haphazardly. She used a grappling hook of some sort to pull herself to the top of another tree, and Hana watched her movement like a hawk. Widowmaker bent down on one knee, aiming her sniper rifle at Hanzo.

Unfortunately for the sniper, Hana was at the perfect angle to fire a shot right at her, and she didn’t hesitate to do so. The round hit Widowmaker in her shoulder, forcing her to cry out in pain and lose her grip.

What Hana didn’t expect was the following gunshot, and an eagle’s cry.

Hanzo _roared_ as he witnessed the eagle cascade down, hardly able to keep himself in the air, using only his wings to soften the landing.

Hana’s eyes watched, wide with horror, as Hanzo fired arrow after arrow at the sniper, until she finally backed off and made her escape into the dense woods. With an injured shoulder, there was little resistance Widowmaker had left, so Hana assumed they would be safe now. Unless there were more Talon forces nearby, but now wasn’t the time to worry about it.

Hana darted over to the eagle laying helpless in the grass. He remained alive but weak, unable to do much but caw softly. Hanzo had already dropped his bow and stooped to his knees, a hand cautiously hovering above the injured animal. Hana had never seen him so distraught. Tears pricked at his eyes, threatening to spill. His chest heaved, especially vivid once he pulled off the cloak and set it besides the eagle. With extreme care, he placed him over the cloak and wrapped him up.

Hanzo’s eyes met Hana’s as soon as she arrived. He swallowed thickly around his grief, carefully lifting the bundle with the eagle and standing up to face her.

“Take him,” Hanzo said immediately, his voice stern despite his despair. “Bring him to Gibraltar—to Overwatch. They can help him.”

Hana took the bird in her arms, keeping extra care in handling the creature. Before she could so much as protest, Hanzo stepped away to release a loud whistle, and he spoke once more, “Ride Dusty. Gibraltar is a few hours away, directly southeast of here,” he lifted his arm to point in the direction, “do _not_ stop until you get there, do you hear me?”

“W—Wait, Hanzo, what—”

“Hana, please, I _need_ you to take care of him.” Desperation filled every crevice of his voice. “I have to go after that sniper, to make sure she can’t cause more harm to any of us.” He paused then, looking out towards the horizon, where the sun remained high. “It will be dark not long after you arrive, so you must hurry.”

Nothing Hanzo said made any sense. Hana didn’t understand his obsession with the arrival of night, but she decided to snap her mouth shut and comply. The eagle needed her help, so she would do what she could.

As if on cue, Dusty entered the area and padded over to them. Hana squeaked as Hanzo lifted her with ease and set her down on his saddle.

“Go!” With that, Hanzo slapped Dusty’s rear and they were off without another word.

* * *

 

Hana approached the Watchpoint: Gibraltar with steady caution yet also wonder. The Watchpoint was truly hidden amongst the cliffs facing the Mediterranean, and were it not for a single path that led to the entrance, Hana would never have been able to find it.

The eagle remained calm for most of the trip. Where it began with constant squawking, it was now completely silent save for a few coos. She worried if this was a sign of his health. The faster he could get the treatment he needed, the better.

She was forced to stop at what was presumably the entrance, an enormous metal door within the cliffs that had been sealed shut. Hana glanced around her surroundings, spotting a small screen on one side with a keypad beneath it. Careful not to move the eagle around too much, she slipped off of Dusty and made her way to the screen. It was completely blank, but Hana did notice a large red button directly above it. Without even hesitating, she reached up to press it.

Seconds later, the screen blinked to life. Hana was met with the image of a gorilla’s face, sitting far too close to the camera. She could only see its eyes and nostrils. Oddly enough, a pair of glasses sat on his nose.

“Strike Commander Winston here,” the gorilla said, huffing forcefully enough that the camera fogged for a brief moment. “State your purpose, please.”

This _was the new Strike Commander?!_ Hana recognized his name, Winston, but she realized at this moment that she’d never seen any image or video of him. While she knew the recalled Overwatch was still working on setting operations up again, the last thing she expected to see was a _talking gorilla_ acting as its new leader.

Silence passed over them as they stared blankly at each other. Winston finally pulled back from the camera enough that Hana could see the rest of his face. When he began adjusting his glasses, opening his mouth to speak, Hana remembered why she was here.

“My name is Song Hana. Codename: Tokki,” she blurted.

The gorilla blinked with wide eyes, before grinning wildly. “Oh! Tokki! The Bunny girl from Busan, yes? We were expecting you three weeks ago, did something happen?”

“Uh, well…” she paused, bit her lip, then shook her head. “It doesn’t matter right now.” She lifted her arms carrying the eagle higher so that he could be seen within the camera just below the screen. “This eagle is injured. Shot by a sniper. Can you help him?”

“We—We don’t usually do such a thing. We don’t have the equipment for medical care on wild animals—”

“Please!” Hana begged, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. “He belongs to someone—someone who knows Jesse McCree!”

That left the gorilla frozen stiff. “Jesse…?” He let the sentence drift off, then his eyes darted to the floor, his face scrunched in deep thought. After a moment, he sighed, and said, “I have too many questions for you, Miss Song. Come inside.”

A moment later, the metal doors pried themselves open. Hana stepped forward, clicking her tongue at Dusty to follow her, and they both stepped inside the Watchpoint. Hana couldn’t help how wide her eyes went at the sight. The facility hidden amongst the cliffs blended in with the surrounding earth, creating a seamless transition between metal and stone. The Watchpoint stretched out much further than she anticipated, winding its way around the cliffside. She could see the Mediterranean in the near distance, making up the horizon.

As she stepped inside the Watchpoint, she was met with Winston and a woman with golden hair, tied into a messy ponytail. She was wearing a white lab jacket along with casual wear.

“Miss Song,” Winston said softly as he stepped forward, bowing his head slightly. She returned the gesture. “We’re all glad to see you in one piece. This,” he gestured to the woman, “is Angela Ziegler, our medic.”

“I was told this eagle was shot, yes?” Angela spoke in a thick accent that Hana couldn’t place the origin of. It was definitely European, but she wasn’t familiar enough with the languages here. The medic stepped forward, peering down at the eagle, who cawed at her gently.

“In his left shoulder,” Hana said softly.

Angela and the eagle gazed at each other for a split second, before she sighed and shook her head. “I was trained in human anatomy, not veterinary. I am sorry, but I do not think I can—”

“ _Please_ ,” Hana pleaded. “Hanzo told me to come here, that Overwatch could help him.”

“Hanzo?” Winston spoke up, adjusting his glasses. “You know Shimada Hanzo?”

“I… he never gave me his last name,” Hana murmured. She watched, helplessly, as Angela and Winston exchanged looks, concern written all over their faces. Hana pressed on, “He knows Jesse McCree.”

Angela bit her lip at that, finally acquiescing. “I will do what I can. Give him here,” Angela gestured to the eagle, and he didn’t fidget or squawk at either of them as he was moved into Angela’s arms. She paused for a moment before leaving, a peculiar expression on her face.

“This cloak… this was Jesse’s.”

“It was?” Hana asked, tilting her head. “Him and Hanzo were always taking turns wearing it. I was never sure whose it was.”

That made Angela freeze, eyes wide as saucers as she stared directly at Hana. After a moment, her eyes turned to Winston, then back to Hana. “They…” she bit her lip again, her brows creasing. “Did you ever see them at the same time?”

“I… no. Never.”

Angela’s eyes went even wider, but Hana was completely in the dark of what she was trying to insinuate. _Was there something she was missing here?_

Finally, Angela shook her head once more. “Sorry, I shouldn’t waste time.” With that, she hurried away, entering through a pair of metal doors into another area of the Watchpoint.

Hana and Winston remained in silence for a few minutes, before he finally uttered an awkward laugh and stepped closer to her.

“Miss Song, will you join me in my office? I’d like to hear everything that you went through since leaving South Korea, if you don’t mind.”

“What should I do with—“ Hana was gesturing to Dusty, who huffed at them both.

“We will find a place for him, don’t worry. I’ll get another agent on that,” Winston gestured behind him, to where his office must have been, “Shall we?”

Hana didn’t hesitate to agree, following him inside the Watchpoint, not trying to think too harshly of Angela’s words.

* * *

 

Winston’s office seemed normal enough at first glance, but that was before Hana realized his computer chair was an enormous tire. There was even another one hanging from the ceiling right outside the doors. The office space was filled with empty peanut butter jars and banana peels. When they arrived, Winston awkwardly chuckled and apologized, saying he had been so busy with the recall that there was little time for cleaning.

Their debriefing was casual, which left Hana at ease. Since she was merely a guest rather than a new recruit, Winston seemed to be treating her just as he would any other citizen. Hana explained her situation from the crash in France all the way until their encounter with Widowmaker. Of course, she only shared the important factors that related mostly to Talon. She didn’t want to release private information about Hanzo or Jesse. Especially the latter, being an ex-Overwatch agent.

Following the debriefing, Hana was given a quick tour of the Watchpoint, ending with the introduction to the room she would be staying in. The Watchpoint contained numerous dorms that were originally meant for higher-ups, but with the reformation, there was plenty of space for everyone to have their own room. Hana wasn’t expecting such an act of kindness, to be given one of them for herself during her stay.

Winston assured her that there would be plenty of time later to meet the other Overwatch members. For now, she was brought to the medbay, and handed off to Angela.

“I will take you to see the eagle,” Angela began as soon as Hana arrived, gesturing for her to follow down a stale white hallway. “I will not say too much, but I assure you he will live. I managed to remove the bullet and dress the wound. Right now, my caduceus technology is helping him recover more effectively.”

Hana let out a breath of relief, and chirped, “I’m so relieved to hear that.”

Angela halted before a door. Hana hardly managed to catch herself from running into her. For several quiet, uncomfortable moments, Angela simply stood there, staring blankly at the metal separating them from the eagle. Before Hana could ask, she spoke first.

“There is… something else about the eagle that you should know.” Angela then turned to face Hana, but couldn’t maintain eye contact, her gaze wavering to the floor. “I… I think it’s best for you to see for yourself.”

Hana was perplexed, to say the least, and she knit her brows but otherwise remained silent. Angela hesitated briefly, her hand hovering above the button to activate the door, before she finally pressed down and the metal swooshed away.

The room was small, only able to fit one bed within it, and on that bed was a man. A man that Hana _knew_. He turned his head towards them and she caught his attention. He chuckled softly, his drawl low and warm.

“Hey there, Cottontail.”

All words escaped her throat. _Why was Jesse here, of all places?_

Until her eyes finally focused and she truly studied the scene before her. McCree wasn’t wearing his metal arm or a shirt, so Hana took notice of his stub. Her eyes zeroed in on the bandage just above it, crossing over his left shoulder.

All of the pieces fell together at once.

Jesse _was_ the eagle.


	5. Chapter 5

Angela was kind enough to leave Hana and Jesse alone, leaving them to sort this situation out themselves within the dim room. Moonlight pooled in from the window, illuminating the room enough that everything could be seen even without the bright medbay lights. When Angela left, Hana and McCree fell into an uncomfortable silence, neither one daring to speak or make a move.

Hana simply stared harshly at him, trying to process this situation all at once.

McCree broke the wave, clearing his throat before speaking, as he gestured to the lone chair beside his hospital bed, “Take a seat, Cottontail.”

Hana did without a word, albeit begrudgingly. She kept her gaze to the floor, refusing to make eye contact.

Another wave passed, and McCree sighed loudly, “I can’t tell if you’re takin’ this well or not. ‘Least Angie said somethin’.”

“What is there to say?” Hana murmured, her fists tightening in the loose fabric of her pants, “I wish you had just told me the truth in the first place.”

Another sigh, followed by shuffling sounds. Hana glanced up to see that McCree had sat himself further upright until he was leaning forward, his single elbow resting on a lifted knee.

“It ain’t that simple.”

“Did you not trust me?” Hana snapped, her irritation spreading, “I knew Hanzo wouldn’t, but you—”

“It ain’t that, I promise,” McCree turned to look down at her at those words, sincerity evident in his warm, brown eyes, “it’s… it’s complicated, alright? Hanzo and I decided it best not to tell anyone, _especially_ those closest to us. Even Angie didn’t know ‘til today, and I’ve known her for twenty years.”

Hana processed this information within a moment of silence, only to sigh and shake her head. “But why? Why not tell them? Overwatch could have—”

“This is a problem between me ‘n Han. Nobody else.”

“How so? Is he just your caretaker, or—”

“ _Enough, Hana,_ ” McCree practically growled. Hana watched as his face contorted to that of _rage_ , his frown as deep as the crease of his brows. He simmered down almost instantly, however, and rubbed at his face with his flesh hand, murmuring an apology. “I didn’t mean to snap at ya. Just… just understand, please, that me ‘n Han are real _ashamed_ of what we’ve become. Now that our secret’s out, we gotta figure this out for ourselves.”

Hana paused, bit her lip. A realization rushed through her at once. “Hanzo goes through the same, doesn’t he? That’s why he’s always gone at night!”

McCree studied her in silence, his eyes wavering with a squint, seeming at odds over whether or not to come clean now that Hana was putting together all the pieces. It seemed that he decided once he finally sighed, ran a hand through his messy hair, and spoke up.

“Yeah, you got it, Cottontail. We can never be together as humans.”

Hana froze, finally connecting everything together. An eagle by day, Jesse McCree by night—Hanzo Shimada during the day, and an animal at night. Two men in love that are eternally separated.

“Th—That’s…” Hana murmured, her words failing to form. Tragic, cruel—many words to choose from, but none could truly express just how distraught this information made her feel. When she turned her attention over to watch McCree, the despair in his dark eyes was immeasurable. His eyes flicked to hers briefly, before he shifted them away and stared directly ahead of him at the blank wall.

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it, Hana,” he faced her again to throw her a warm and comforting grin, “me ‘n Han will get it all figured out.” Hana watched silently as McCree leaned back against the mattress and made himself comfortable, as if preparing to sleep. “It’s gettin’ late, Cottontail, go get some rest.”

“What about you?” Hana murmured, her eyes pointing towards the bandage over McCree’s shoulder. He noticed, and pulled out another smile. One that seemed forced.

“I’ll be fine, I’ve had worse,” he chuckled softly, “but, hey, one more thing. Wanted to ask you if Han is comin’ here or not. Angie told me you arrived alone.”

Hana paused, thinking back to hours ago when Hanzo rushed her off towards the Watchpoint. So much happened since then, it almost felt like a lifetime ago. Hana didn’t remember Hanzo saying anything beyond that he would chase after the sniper.

But surely Hanzo wouldn’t leave his lover behind, not when said lover nearly crossed over to the other side. Hana wished to tell McCree as much, but when she saw the shining hope within his eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him the truth.

“Soon, he will be.” Hana tossed McCree a bright smile. The gesture was returned cordially.

“Make sure he doesn’t cause any trouble,” McCree chuckled as he reached down to pull the medbay’s thin white sheet serving as a blanket over himself. “Oh, and also… thank you. For bringin’ me here. I owe ya one, Cottontail.”

Hana giggled, “Buy me some snacks and we’ll call it even.”

* * *

 

Widowmaker vanished as quickly as she appeared.

Hanzo went after her as soon as he sent Hana away to Gibraltar. By then, too much time had passed, and Widowmaker was nowhere to be seen. Nevertheless, he made his way through the forest, following the trail made by the sniper’s grappling hook which latched onto dozens of tree branches.

Despite his exhaustion, despite how his body ached with each step, Hanzo kept going forward. Pure hatred and thirst for revenge was what drove him to keep moving. Whenever the thought of Jesse— _his_ Jesse—crossed his mind, the rage that unfolded was strong enough to ensnare every fibre of his being.

If Jesse died, then so would Widowmaker. Even if he lived, he wished to end her life just for hurting the one thing in this world he loved dearly.

Hanzo darted through the dense forest for what felt like hours before the trail finally ran cold. Which was odd, given that he remained within the center of the forest. Either she rushed away on foot, or…

Hanzo immediately pulled a sonic arrow from his quiver and nocked it against his bow. He darted behind a tree, just barely letting himself peek from behind in order to get a glimpse of his surroundings.

Widowmaker was here. Somewhere. It was too risky to expose himself, so he waited for her to make the first move.

The forest fell into a deep silence as he waited, the air itself growing still as the time passed. What may have been mere minutes felt significantly longer. Hanzo was rapidly growing impatient.

When finally, he caught it. The barest glint of light from a tall branch. He pulled the arrow back to its fullest and briefly pulled himself from his cover, and fired just below the branch, the sonic arrow piercing the thick wood. Although the action lasted merely a split second, he barely missed the bullet that zipped by.

“You missed,” he spat out, loud enough for her to hear.

“So did you.”

Hanzo shivered at her voice, so cold and calculated, not a single emotion within it.

While Widowmaker did know of his location now, he still had the upper hand. Hanzo knew _exactly_ where she was hiding thanks to his sonic arrow. He glanced behind him to see the red aura where she remained crouched amongst the leaves. The difficult bit would be to get to higher ground without letting himself be seen.

Hanzo didn’t have many options left. He shifted his bow to sit along his back, the taut drawstring holding it snugly to himself. Spinning around to face the tree he’d been hiding behind, he took a few steps back. Only enough to give himself a running start before kicking himself off the ground and gripping the lowest branches. He pulled himself higher and higher up, until he and Widowmaker were on the same plane. He used the surrounding crimson and golden leaves as his new cover to make up for how vastly the trunk’s size decreased the higher he climbed.

Widowmaker hadn’t moved a muscle. Yet that was all the more odd, given that surely she would have noticed he was no longer down there by now. Hanzo kept himself overly cautious as he tried to find himself a vantage point.

Hanzo removed the bow from his chest, nocked another arrow against the string, and let it fly directly at her.

He watched in horror as Widowmaker’s heat signature finally moved, jumping backwards from the branch, his arrow whizzing past the empty space. She was… hanging?

Another bullet sped by, this one just barely grazing his cheek. He hissed at the sting of the open wound, ignoring the blood that trickled into his beard. Just when he prepared to fire another arrow at her, Widowmaker suddenly went immobile. Her gun fell to the forest floor, the noise echoing through the surrounding. Hanzo watched her heat signature, seeing that her whole body had gone limp, her arms hanging above her head.

Perplexed, he pulled himself from his cover to see that, yes, Widowmaker was indeed hanging off a branch and not moving a muscle. Given that her gun now sat on the ground, Hanzo deduced that, no, this wasn’t a trick of hers.

He hopped down from the tree, jumping from branch to branch until he hit the forest floor, and he immediately nocked another arrow. Hanzo stepped carefully towards Widowmaker’s limp body, keeping his eyes focused entirely on her.

“Shh,” a voice called out. A new voice. “You don’t want to wake her up, do you?”

Hanzo’s eyes darted about before finally zeroing in on a dark, hooded figure sitting amongst a nearby branch, just a few feet above him. Their dark clothes covered their entire body, all black aside from some bright blue lining on their coat. A mask covered their face, also black apart from three glowing blue bars that formed a triangular shape. What appeared to be a sniper rifle hung behind their back from a strap. Their legs dangled into the open air, and they were holding a small pistol in one hand. Or, well, Hanzo couldn’t exactly see what it was, before the figure finally tucked it away.

Their other hand, with their index finger pointing out, sat before the mask, making a _shh_ gesture. They spoke again, voice light and airy, echoing with some sort of unfamiliar accent.

“She loves to cause trouble, doesn’t she,” the figure laughed, their free hand pressing against their chest as they tilted their head back.

“Who are you?” Hanzo kept his arrow poised high, aiming at the figure.

“Oh, now, don’t be rash. Put that away.”

“Perhaps when you explain yourself,” Hanzo spat, his voice venomous with his built up rage.

“You can call me Shrike. I’m a friend. That’s about all I can say.”

Hanzo threw her a disapproving look, his frown only deepening. The figure sighed, shrugged, and stood, effortlessly balancing on the branch.

“I know Jesse, but he’s not yet ready to know me again.”

That had Hanzo lowering his bow, but only a bit, “Jesse? Are you a friend of his?”

“More of a mentor, really. But that’s not important now.” They hopped down from the branch, stepping closer to Hanzo despite the arrow still pointing right at their chest. “I have a message for both of you.”

Hanzo didn’t let up the aim on his bow,  but the person didn’t care. They used two fingers to move the arrow aside, pointing it to the ground.

Hanzo finally sighed, relented, and tucked his bow away. “A message?”

The figure looked up to the forest canopy, where the sun hardly peeked through the leaves. A wave of silence passed over them.

“A day without night,” they said quietly, moving their gaze back to Hanzo, “and a night without day.”

Hanzo’s brows creased, his confusion evident in his expression.

“Speak sense.”

The figure simply laughed and gave another light hand wave, “Keep an eye out on the sky, dragon. You’ll understand what I mean soon enough.”

Hanzo watched, stunned to silence by the cryptic message, as the person turned and walked away, over to Widowmaker’s hanging, limp body. They pulled a knife from beneath their coat, tossing it casually. The line holding Widowmaker to the branch was torn, and she came tumbling down, only to be caught by the stranger.

“I’ll take care of her. You should find Jesse,” the stranger gave him a curt two-finger salute before stepping away, back into the depths of the forest.

Hanzo let them leave without any objection, his mind immediately clicking into complete focus towards Jesse now. Without Dusty, he wouldn’t be able to get to Gibraltar for at least a couple of days. An ache developed in his chest at the flittering thought of arriving only to find that Jesse didn’t make it.

No. He shouldn’t think of the worst possible outcome. Not now.

Hanzo made his way out of the forest at a snail’s pace, his mind racing with thoughts over what his next step should be. Their supplies remained a distance away, but carrying it all by himself would only increase the length of time until he would arrive at the Watchpoint. Overwatch could always fetch it later.

That left him to decide that, yes, he would immediately make his way southeast, to where Jesse waited for him.

Hanzo paused once he arrived at the outside of the forest’s border, the bright and beaming sun hanging low, just above the horizon. Hanzo shielded his eyes from the bright rays of light, watching as twilight began to descend upon the land.

Night would arrive in mere hours. There was a long distance to trek and little time to waste. However, Hanzo did not let the arrival of the moon deter his journey.

After all, four legs were faster than two.

* * *

 

After two days with no signs of Hanzo, Hana was beginning to worry. She was expecting him to have arrived by now, but perhaps without Dusty, the trip was simply too far for him on foot. Even for Hanzo.

There was also—which Hana didn’t want to consider—the possibility that Widowmaker bested him, and that Hanzo wouldn’t be arriving at all. But, no, Hana _knew_ that Hanzo was fine. She had to keep believing so, if not for McCree’s sake.

McCree was taking it worse than her for certain. He had to remain in his tiny medbay room while he recovered. Hana was unable to visit him often, as per Dr. Ziegler’s orders. Yet whenever she did, she could see just how devastated he was as more time passed without Hanzo’s appearance.

Hana approached his room on the third night after they both arrived at the Watchpoint. The door whooshed open and she was welcomed to the sight of a brightly lit room. McCree normally left the lights off, but they were all lit up as Dr. Ziegler was there, in the midst of reapplying his bandages.

Ziegler spun around as soon as she heard the door mechanism, and the shock on her face quenched as soon as she saw Hana standing idly in the doorway.

“Oh, Hana,” Ziegler threw a smile on for her, then turned back to her work. McCree threw Hana a courteous wave with his single hand.

“I’m not interrupting, am I?” Hana chirped, stepping forward and letting the door behind her close, its locking mechanism clicking loudly.

“Not at all, I’m nearly finished.” Ziegler tied the bandage edges into a strong knot, papping McCree on the shoulder before stepping away. He hissed fiercely, and Ziegler simply scolded him, “Oh hush, you big baby.”

“Angie,” McCree whined pathetically, “it ain’t gonna heal if you keep doin’ that.” Ziegler tossed him a scowl before gathering her supplies and stepping towards the door.

Ignoring McCree’s whimpers of pain, she instead addressed Hana as she left, voice low, “Jesse needs his rest. I ask you not to speak with him for too long.”

Hana nodded, “I won’t.”

Dr. Ziegler gave her one more quick smile and left the room, the door closing swiftly behind her.

Silence didn’t last for very long, as McCree immediately spoke up, “You mind hittin’ the lights, Cottontail? I ain’t used to this much brightness anymore. Hurts my eyes.”

Hana’s eyes caught the switch just beside the door, and flipped it. The room instantly drenched itself back into darkness, save for the bright moonlight that wafted through the window.

Hana moved over to stand at his bedside. Her eyes idly flickered down to the newly dressed bandages coating McCree’s left shoulder, and further down to the stump of what remained of his arm. Briefly, however, for she forced her attention back up to McCree once she realized how rude she was being.

He wasn’t paying attention, either way. His gaze was hazy and unfocused, directed towards the far wall. Silence passed over them like a wave, until finally, McCree forced the wave to crash.

“He ain’t comin’, is he?”

Hana froze, her eyes locking with McCree’s. The events of recent days had truly taken a toll on him—his eyes were as dead and lifeless and they could be. Hana didn’t want to hide the truth from him, but didn’t want to be the one to divulge it, either.

“N—No, he hasn’t shown up yet,” Hana murmured, her fingers idly playing with the ends of McCree’s blanket as she moved her gaze away, “he never told me if he would, either. All he said was that I had to save you.”

McCree sighed, ran a hand through his hair, pressed his fingers against his brow, until he finally murmured, “He looks out for me all the time, but I… can’t do shit for him. Hana,” McCree drew her attention back to him, “please find him. _Please_. I need to know he’s not hurt.”

Hana nodded determinedly, and threw a smile on for him.

“Of course,” she said softly. “I’ll get Overwatch to help. We’ll find him.”

McCree let his eyes close as exhaustion took him over, and he said, hardly above a whisper, “Good. Thank you.”


	6. Chapter 6

Without any transportation beyond his own two—sometimes four—feet, reaching the Watchpoint: Gibraltar was an arduous journey. Yet finally, after three solid days of travel, he arrived at his destination. 

Hanzo couldn’t bring himself to go inside despite that. 

It wasn’t exactly a door, either. An enormous wall of steel embedded into the cliffside kept him from entering the Watchpoint. He noticed a small screen with a bright red button just above it, but forcing himself to press it was an arduous task.

Jesse was here. Hanzo  _ had _ to get inside and find him. But he was an assassin—he wasn’t familiar with walking through the front door. 

So instead, he simply stood there, staring with a grimace at the wall of steel serving as the one thing to block him from Jesse. Strategies fluttered through his mind, wondering if he could simply climb the cliffs and sneak his way inside. But if he was caught, that would only cause more problems. Hanzo quickly lost track of how long he spent standing there, brooding.

Suddenly, the screen embedded in the wall blinked to life, and his eyes flicked over to watch as it showed him nothing but an empty white screen.

“ _ Annyeonghaseyo! _ ”

A girl’s voice spoke out to him from the speakers above the screen. A familiar voice.

The screen blinked again and he saw Hana, face bright with a wide grin. She looked vastly different from when her and Hanzo had been on the road. Cleaner, brighter, happier. The sad, dejected girl with the tattered Hanbok who ran into his horse could no longer be seen in the warmth now glimmering in her eyes. She was even wearing some light make-up now, lips tinted in a rose pink that matched the sets of whiskers now painted on her face.

Hanzo didn’t respond for a long while, simply staring blankly at her image, until she finally turned her head to the side with a perplexed expression, and said, “Hanzo? Are you doing okay? We were just about to go looking for you. I’m glad you made it.”

Hanzo blinked, surprised by the sentiment. “You were? Why?”

“ _ Why _ ?” Hana frowned, puffing up her cheeks and looking annoyed, “I didn’t know if you’d ever come here! I hoped you would, because McCree—“

“Jesse!” Hanzo sputtered, his mind suddenly recalling his  _ true _ purpose for coming here, “is he okay?! I  _ need _ to see him!”

“Woah, woah, Hanzo, chill!” Hana waved her hands at the camera. “He’s fine! He’s been recovering. You can come see him.”

A relieved sigh pooled out from his lips, and he felt that he could finally breathe again. But then, a realization struck him like lightning.

“Wait.” He locked eyes with Hana, voice going low. “You know…?”

Hana frowned, all the brightness from her face dimming down and she looked again as how he remembered her.

“Yes,” she said with only a brief moment of hesitation, “it wasn’t hard to figure out once I saw McCree with a bullet wound in his shoulder.”

Hanzo sighed, rubbed at the bridge of his nose with two fingers, and murmured, “I apologize for not telling you. It’s… a complicated situation.”

“It’s fine!” Hana sputtered, waving a hand as if to say ‘don’t worry about it.’ “You don’t have to talk about it. Here, let me open the door for you.”

The image of Hana blipped away, leaving the screen to be pitch black once again. Moments later, a great whirring noise echoed throughout the cliffside, and the enormous doors pried open. Hanzo hesitated briefly before stepping inside.

Hanzo was greeted by Hana, who had been in the midst of running over to him. He couldn’t help but notice her odd clothes—a neon green T-shirt with a frog logo on the front and some black leggings. 

Until he remembered that they had left behind their wagon containing all of their possessions. Guilt ate away at his gut at this realization. Hana was now without the picture frame she held so dear, all because he rushed her off so quickly. He would see later if he could use Overwatch’s transport to find it.

“Hey!” Hana chirped as she approached him, “Follow me, I can take you to McCree.”

Hanzo nodded, remaining silent as he allowed Hana to lead him away. They moved throughout an empty Watchpoint, which Hanzo took a mental note of. Surely Overwatch was small now, as not much time had passed since its re-establishment. But would there really be not a soul amongst the grounds?

Hanzo cleared his throat before asking, “Where is everyone?”

“Hm?” Hana stopped in her tracks and spun around to face him. “Oh, they’re just in the mess hall. It’s dinner time right now.”

“Oh,” Hanzo bowed his head by a fraction, guilt eating away at him once more, “I hope I am not pulling you away from a meal.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I haven’t exactly… had an appetite lately.” Hana frowned, her brow creasing deeply. “Too much on my mind, I guess.”

Hanzo said nothing beyond a grunt of acknowledgement. He was aware that Hana wasn’t fond of him in the least—unsurprising given his sour attitude towards her—so he decided against offering his empty words of consolation.

Hana let it drop, either way. She turned back around and began leading him away again, a heavy silence dawning over both of them.

He was brought to a building separate from the main facility. There was a sign just above the entrance door that said  _ MEDBAY  _ in bold letters. Hana brought him inside and down a hall, empty and sterile white, giving him flashbacks to his time spent in the hospital when he was young.

Hana ended their journey before a door, which looked the same as all the others within that hall. Hanzo noticed the little name plaque on the right.  _ Jesse McCree. _ The moment of truth finally arrived.

“Go ahead. Take as much time as you need.” Hana threw him a forced smile before heading back where they came. “Come to the mess hall when you’re done. The Strike Commander wants to meet you.”

_ Strike Commander? _ It would be an honour to meet someone so significant, but Hanzo couldn’t think of any reason someone like that would want to meet someone like  _ him _ .

“Thank you,” Hanzo simply murmured to her as she walked away. She only acknowledged it with a brief glance behind her shoulder.

The guilt of how he had been treating Hana all this time continued to tug at his heartstrings. Hopefully he could amend his mistakes before it was too late. That didn’t matter now, however, for he had one other matter to attend to.

Pressing the button, the door swished open in the blink of an eye. He was greeted to an empty, blindingly white room. The lights above were turned off, but there was plenty of sunlight beaming from the window that he could see reflected in Jesse’s eyes. He was in his eagle form—of course, why should he expect any different?—laying down on an otherwise empty hospital bed. He’d made a little nest for himself from his cloak, and Hanzo smiled brightly at his beloved, stepping forward.

Jesse cawed at him softly, keeping his bright, golden eyes locked on him. As Hanzo moved to stand at his bedside, he noticed the bandages wrapped over Jesse’s chest and shoulder. It was reassuring to see that he was recovering well. He held his hand out slightly towards Jesse, who rubbed his beak along his skin without a moment of hesitation. Hanzo uttered a soft smile.

Relief to see that Jesse was  _ safe _ swept through him so forcefully that he hardly noticed the escaping tears.

* * *

 

The sun was nearly about to set, and anxiety churned away within Hana’s gut. Hanzo hadn’t returned to the mess hall yet. If he took much longer, he would transform, and, well… that wasn’t exactly the best first impression for Overwatch.

After all, Hana still didn’t even know what animal he would become once the sun fell.

She tapped her chopsticks mindlessly against her uneaten rice bowl, her leg shaking uncontrollably. Her eyes kept flickering over to the wide window where the Strait of Gibraltar could be seen below the cliffside. The sun was setting beyond the waves, illuminating the sea with bright shades of orange and pink.

She sighed, groaned, and stuck her chopsticks straight into the rice, superstitions be damned. Hana stood from her chair, finding the resolve to retrieve Hanzo before it was too late.

Of course, Hanzo was there to block the doorway at the very same moment she reached it. 

“Ah, apologies,” Hanzo murmured, taking a step back around the corner before she was able to bump into him. 

Hana grumbled, “Was hoping you’d show up sooner.”

“I…” Hanzo coughed once, averting his attention from Hana, “I simply lost track of time.”

Hana cocked an eyebrow, but decided to drop it. She glanced behind her, seeing that the Overwatch team were all distracted by Reinhardt’s boisterous retelling of a battle from years past. She rushed Hanzo into the hallway, far enough that she was sure they wouldn’t be able to hear them. Hanzo was about to protest, but she spoke first.

“It’s late, Hanzo. Do you want to just do this tomorrow?”

He hesitated before answering, his frown growing wider, “I assume they dont know?”

“Dr. Ziegler does, and  _ maybe _ Strike Commander Winston. But as for everyone else, probably not.” Hana crossed her arms and sighed dramatically. “I just don't want you to transform suddenly and freak everyone out, y’know?”

“That won’t happen,” Hanzo said matter-of-factly, “I have some time, I will simply introduce myself, then leave.”

Hana was doubtful that this would be a pleasant exchange, but Hanzo’s expression implied that he was dead-set on doing this anyway. She decided not to try and fight him about it, if only to keep from wasting the time he had left.

“Fine, but make it quick,” she grumbled as she took his arm and dragged him back into the mess hall.

Despite being in the midst of a rowdy meal, everyone went dead silent as soon as they stepped through the door. Dozens of eyes stared widely, right at Hanzo. A few set of eyes moved over to stare at Genji, the cyborg swordsman whom Hana had yet to truly meet. Why Genji had anything to do with Hanzo, she hadn’t a clue.

Winston was the first to step forward, chuckling nervously as he approached Hanzo and took his hand.

“Welcome to Gibraltar! I’m the Strike Commander,” Winston said as he delivered a firm handshake. Hana snorted when she saw just how baffled Hanzo was from being greeted by a talking gorilla. He immediately tried to school himself into his usual poker face, but for once, it didn’t work.

“You… are?” Hanzo’s voice was completely deadpan.

Winston adjusted his glasses, keeping his forced smile bright, “Y—Yes! Forgive the, uh, not-so-friendly greeting. We, uh… weren’t expecting you so soon.”

“It is fine,” Hanzo said without missing a beat, “I simply wished to introduce myself, but I must leave for the night very soon.”

“Ah, yes, yes! No problem, I can—“

“Surely,” a voice cut through the conversation at hand—a lilt voice, heavily modified by machinery—as Genji stood from the table and approached them, “you would prefer to stay for dinner? What do you say… _ anija _ ?”

Hanzo instantly went pale, his eyes wide as saucers. 

Not a word passed anyone’s lips. Everyone was stunned, watching the scene before them. It felt like everyone knew what was going on. Everyone but Hana. 

“You’ve nothing to say, I see,” Genji said, strutting forward with an air of confidence.

Hanzo still wouldn’t speak. His chest heaved as sweat rapidly pooled down his face. Hana suspected he was one step away from passing out.

Genji was relentless, “Well?”

“This isn’t real,” Hanzo murmured, hardly above a whisper, “ _ you’re  _ not real _. _ ”

“I assure you I am.”

“No, no… my brother is  _ dead. _ ”

Silence passed over the room like a wave. Genji stood frozen for several moments, before he reached up and pressed both hands against somewhere on the back of his head. The neon green light of his visor vanished in an instant as a puff of air emitted from the vents. Genji’s face plate pulled away from the rest of the armour covering his head, and he removed it. 

A man’s face remained, his skin decorated with waves of scars. His dark eyes bore into Hanzo’s, unrelenting. Hanzo was unable to maintain that eye contact for very long, and he broke his gaze from Genji altogether. He balled his fists and his face shifted from pale and sickly to crimson, all while his breathing went heavy. Heavier than Hana had ever seen from him.

Within a moment, Hanzo had left the room, darting down the hallway at a sprint. Hana initially made to make chase, but Genji was at her side in a flash, tugging at her arm.

“Don’t bother,” he murmured, “he likes to brood by himself.”

She paused, stared at him with mouth agape. Even without understanding the situation between them, she knew Hanzo better than she did this man. Whatever he said didn’t matter to her—she needed to do what was right.

“Maybe if anyone gave a damn he wouldn’t  _ have _ to be alone,” she practically growled at the cyborg as she pulled her arm from his grip.

She rushed down the hallway back outside onto the Watchpoint’s main grounds. Her eyes darted about, trying to spot even the smallest hint as to where Hanzo had run off to. 

Hana noticed immediately how dark the sky had become by now. Stars were beginning to sprinkle over the world and the orange hues of twilight were fading. She stepped over to the cliffside in order to see how far below the waves the sun had fallen. Hanzo didn’t have much time left, if any.

Then finally, she spotted it. Hanzo’s bright blue obi lying spread out on the dirt. The rest of his gi was lying a bit further away, followed by his golden scarf and his… pants. 

Hana followed the trail, leading out to a narrow space hidden between two metal storage sheds. 

A wolf sat there, hunched over and panting wildly. Its fur was a gleaming, snowy white, and it almost blended in with the pristine white walls of the buildings it hid between. Golden markings decorated the wolf’s fur along its face and its left arm.

Hana froze in place at the sight, fear trembling through every limb of her being. She remembered, now, how McCree drove her away from a howling wolf. He seemed so familiarized with that situation, but now it all made sense. When night fell over the world, Hanzo transformed into this creature.

Hanzo was beautiful in this form, but he was still a  _ wolf _ . McCree seemed tame enough in his eagle form, but who was to say Hanzo would be the same way. Especially after all the distress he was already under.

Hana swallowed her fears, reminding herself that Hanzo  _ needed _ someone right now, and she stepped closer to him, crouching low as he growled fiercely at her.

“Hanzo,” she murmured, holding out a hand, clicking her tongue. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

Hanzo snarled, and moved up from his hunched form in order to stand upright. He didn’t move forward but simply stood his ground instead, growling lowly, golden eyes boring into Hana’s.

Whenever she tried to move closer to him, Hanzo would growl even more fiercely until she backed off. After several attempts, Hana finally gave up, accepting that Hanzo didn’t want any help from her, or anyone. Perhaps Jesse could help, maybe she should find him—

As soon as she stood to leave, Hanzo rushed at her, maw open wide. She yelped, stumbled back, but tripped over something—a rock?—and fell on her backside. She uselessly used her arms to protect her face, anticipating the wolf’s sharp teeth to latch onto her, but it never arrived. 

Hanzo was still growling—she could hear him—when she finally uncovered her face and sat up to see, she was met with the sight of McCree, sitting over her, his metal arm extended out. Hanzo’s jaw remained on the arm, teeth gnawing uselessly at the metal.

“You okay there, Cottontail?” McCree asked her, turning his head around just enough that she could see his warm smile.

Hana’s eyes couldn’t escape Hanzo’s, which were glaring at her from behind McCree’s arm. “I’m… fine.”

“Good, good,” McCree murmured, turning his attention back to Hanzo, “hey, sweetheart, good to see ya.”

Hanzo whimpered as McCree used his other hand to give him a pat on his head, followed by some scritches behind his ear. The wolf finally released McCree’s metal arm, all aggression vanishing from him instantly, and  _ adoration _ instead appeared in his bright, golden eyes. Hanzo was looking at McCree like he was the only other person in the world. As McCree kept petting him, Hanzo’s tail began to wag back and forth, just like that of a dog.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” McCree finally turned his attention back to Hana, looking evidently apologetic, from the way his brow was downturned. “Hanzo only feels safe around me when he’s a wolf.”

Hana shook her head, throwing the cowboy a soft smile, “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have gotten so close to him.” Her voice quivered, the rest of her body still shaken up. She had to take several deep breaths in order to calm down.

“Here,” McCree extended his metal arm out to her, palm up, “you can come closer now. He’s calmed down.”

Terror shook through her spine once more, despite McCree’s soft words. Hana’s mind couldn’t escape the image of Hanzo snarling at her, his sharp teeth nearly ripping out her throat. Even when he now looked completely different, golden eyes wide as he panted with his tongue lolled out and tail wagging wildly, Hana took a few steps back involuntarily. 

McCree noticed her hesitation, and he returned the hand to his side, giving Hana a firm nod of understanding, turning his attention back to Hanzo.

“Jesse!” 

A new voice called out for the cowboy, which Hana quickly recognized as Dr. Ziegler’s. The doctor was rushing over to them at a sprint, but she halted dead in her tracks as soon as she saw the white wolf, her eyes going wide as saucers as she took a step back.

“What…?” The sentence lingered in the air before something seemed to click in Ziegler’s mind, “Jesse, is that—“

“Yeah, Angie, it’s him. Listen,” Jesse finally stood to face both Hana and Dr. Ziegler, his face creased with worry, “I appreciate you takin’ care o’ me but I think it’s time we head out.”

Ziegler groaned heavily before taking a step forward, jutting a finger into McCree’s chest.

“No you don’t, Jesse. You’re not running off again, especially not until that wound heals up.”

McCree pushed her accusatory finger aside and grumbled, “We’ve put y’all through enough trouble.”

Ziegler’s shoulders slumped and her expression turned heavy, a stark contrast from her irritation only moments before. She began fiddling with the buttons on her lab coat, going silent.

Until Hana wormed her way in to the conversation, “If you both leave, I’m going with you.”

“No. Absolutely not.” McCree’s fingers sliced through the air in a motion of irritation. “You’re stayin’ right here. You got your own problems to deal with.”

_ Yuna _ . Hana’s heart tugged towards her partner, yet guilt ate away at her for forgetting what her true goal was her for this long. Not so much that she  _ forgot _ but that meeting McCree and Hanzo proved to be quite the distraction from her original goal.

Saving Yuna versus staying with the two men who had already helped her through so much. She knew which path was more important, but there was the thought that she hadn’t done enough to repay them, which left her hesitating.

Hana took a look at Hanzo, seeing him crouched down, hiding behind McCree, his golden eyes wide with terror, glancing idly at Ziegler. She remembered the pain in McCree’s eyes whenever he listened to Hanzo’s videos. She couldn’t just abandon them in the same way that she couldn’t abandon Yuna.

“I...” Hana bit her lip, pausing to gather her words, “I don’t want either of you to be alone anymore.”

McCree’s face went grim at that. He pulled his hat over his face.

“We ain’t alone,” he said, speaking so lowly he was barely audible, “we’ve still got each other.”

McCree was stubborn, that was for certain. But he didn’t know just how hard Hana could push back. She stepped closer, into McCree’s space, her arms crossed defiantly.

“Jesse McCree, I’m tired of this,” she said firmly, not relenting in the slightest, “I’m tired of the lies and secrets. I  _ trust _ both of you, and I want you to trust me, too. I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for you, so I just… I want to return the favour. Please.”

McCree’s stern expression finally wavered. His eyes went soft and he sighed heavily, taking his hat off to run his hand through his chestnut locks. He said nothing, but Hana could see the indecision echoing over his face.

“Jesse.” Dr. Ziegler finally re-entered the conversation, her voice calm and calculated. “If you’re willing, I would like for you and Hanzo to stay with us for the time being. Please consider it, as your wound still needs to heal, and…” her eyes flickered to Hana, “she needs you.  _ Overwatch  _ needs you.”

“Angie, I ain’t accepting the recall. I came here  _ just _ to tell y’all that.”

Ziegler frowned, “Jesse, I’m not asking for you to join the team. You’ll be treated as a guest this time.” 

He huffed. “Fine,” he finally grumbled, “but once it’s time to go, we’re goin’.”

Relief flooded through her, and Hana acted without even realizing, darting up to McCree with a skip, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging tightly. She buried her face in the soft feathers of his cloak, trying but failing at containing the tears from drifting down her cheek. 

“Thank you,” she murmured softly, the cloak muffling her voice. 

McCree answered by returning the embrace, a warm chuckle rumbling through him.


	7. Chapter 7

While Winston assigned a private room for Hanzo and himself to use, Jesse was stuck in his medbay room all day every day instead. Angela insisted that his bullet wound still needed time to heal completely, but Jesse was feeling doubtful. He felt fine, despite what she said. 

Or perhaps he was just ansty to leave before shit hit the fan, as it surely would whenever he and Hanzo remained in one place for too long.

Laying down on the rock hard medbay bed, Jesse was lazily scrolling through an e-book that Lena lent him. She insisted he would enjoy reading an extensive collection on horse anatomy, but he only had enough of an attention span at the moment to skim the long paragraphs and to simply study the pictures instead. 

Hanzo, in his wolf form, laid on his chest and stomach, quietly snoozing away. Jesse simply had to accept it whenever Hanzo decided to lay on him despite being twice the size of an average large breed dog and having a thick enough fur coat that he essentially acted as a blanket. Sure, winter had recently begun, but it wasn’t exactly cold on the southern tip of Spain. Quite the opposite, in fact. Jesse may have been a desert man but even this was too much.

But then he would take a glance down and see Hanzo’s closed eyes and the lolling tongue and he would shrug it off. Hanzo never looked this content or at peace at any other time—he shouldn’t disturb such a rare image.

A knock at the door roused him from his musings over a detailed image of a horse’s skeletal structure. The noise startled Hanzo, who lifted his head and stared blankly at the source.

“Come in,” Jesse called, assuming his guest was just Angela for their periodic check-up. 

He was right, as she opened the door and stepped inside moments later, immediately moving over to the machines at his bedside which were there to keep an eye on his vitals. Hanzo’s eyes pointed at her all the while, and he growled softly, until Jesse ran a comforting hand through the fur on his head.

“I don’t know how I feel about him staying in here,” Angela mused, jotting down information to her clipboard, trying to avoid making eye contact with Hanzo. 

“He’s most comfortable with me when he’s like this. I’d rather not change that.”

“I understand, Jesse, I just…” she paused, biting her lip, “I worry about the others. Hana could’ve been—”

“I  _ know _ , Angie,” Jesse took a deep breath, trying not to let his irritation stir. Still, he didn’t need the reminder for how badly they fucked up the other day. “I’ll figure this out, okay? There’s just… there’s a lot to deal with right now.”

Angela simply answered with a nod. She finished her checks on the machines, and she turned around to replace the empty IV bag with another. Hanzo continued staring at her, so Jesse kept his hand on his head absentmindedly. 

“How have you been holding up, Jesse?” The question was sudden, and it took a moment for Jesse to process it.

“Uh… fine, I guess. Just waitin’ for this damn bullet hole to heal up.” He laughed dryly. “Just like old times, huh?”

Angela delivered the smallest chuckle at that, and she said, “I would hope not! I was so overworked back then. I must say, I like having a smaller team this time around. Much less work for me to do.”

“Being able to sleep sure is nice, huh?”

She grinned, “I can’t believe how long I missed out.” They both laughed.

Jesse paused for a bit, collecting his thoughts. Memories flashed through his head of the old Overwatch and all of those that once resided within these very same walls, in this facility along the sea. Many were gone forever, others moved on to normal lives after the fallout. He thought back to Grand Mesa, Zurich—all of the Watchpoints used to be so full of life. Now they were nothing but empty husks. 

Everything felt so distant, but coming back to Gibraltar made it all come back to him in a rush, as if no time had passed at all. Yet, nothing was truly the same, was it? He had returned as a completely different man. If he could even be considered a man anymore.

“Y’know,” Jesse mused, catching Angela’s attention as she gave him a quick glance, “I kinda miss it. Just… having people around. It’s nice to see some of the old team back again, but it just… doesn’t feel the same, y’know?”

Angela frowned, but nodded. “You’re right. I feel the same, in a way. Cannot help but miss those who are no longer here.”

Jesse hardly hesitated to overshare, “I think about Gabe the most, of course. Once I saw the news about Zurich, I felt so damn  _ guilty _ about it. Like I could’ve done somethin’.” He paused, took a breath, then said at nearly a whisper, “The same with Ana. When I found out what happened to her, I just—”

All words left him, replaced by tears. They were flowing before he could stop them. Angela gasped when she noticed, and reached into her lab coat to pull out a handkerchief. She dabbed at his eyes while murmuring soft, encouraging words.

Hanzo was staring at him, his attention finally gone from Angela. Hanzo inched himself as close to Jesse’s face as he could, and his warm tongue dabbed at his chin and up to his cheeks. Jesse couldn’t help but burst into laughter from that.

“Thanks, cupcake,” he murmured, leaning forward to press a kiss to Hanzo’s wet nose.

Angela smiled, now turning her attention to the IV needle in his arm in order to readjust it. 

“You two seem close.”

“Yeah, we are,” Jesse said as he tried to pull away from Hanzo’s tongue, no longer needing the bombardment of smelly wolf kisses, “Never thought I’d fall for anyone this hard this late in my life. But, y’know. What happens, happens.”

“I find it cruelly ironic that you ended up with Genji’s brother,” Angela said, ignoring Jesse’s sudden grimace, “considering what he did.”

“I know, Angie.”

“Then  _ why? _ ” she said coolly, all emotion suddenly drained from her voice, “You saw what Genji went through.”

Jesse knew this topic would come up at some point. He and Genji were close friends during their Blackwatch days, often working together on the same missions. It was some sick twist of fate that he would end up falling head over heels in love with the man who did such a horrid thing to his own brother. 

The answer may have been too simple.

“I fell in love with him before I knew who he was.”

Angela stared at him for several moments, their eyes locking fiercely. Jesse was struggling to control his temper, not wanting it to burst on one of his closest friends of twenty years.

Angela broke the eye contact, grabbing her clipboard and the empty IV bag in one hand and stepping away, making a break for the door. She froze just outside of it, her attention turning to the little nightstand that sat on Jesse’s left. A vase of primrose, pink camellias, and arbutus sat on top, a gift from Hanzo. 

She shoved the vase onto the cold floor. The ceramic shattered, the dozens of flowers scattered all over, swimming in what remained of the water that kept them beautiful. 

Hanzo reacted first, snarling and making a motion to leap at Angela. Jesse yelled his name, trying to block him from her by using his legs and metal arm. It was a struggle to hold him down when he was in this large and powerful of a form.

“Hanzo! Hanzo, calm down, they’re just flowers—” Hanzo cooled off after some time, stopped trying to attack Angela, and settled down, resorting to growling at her instead.

“See?” she said, crossing her arms. “This is just how he is, Jesse. He hurts others without thinking of the consequences. He doesn’t  _ care _ about anyone but himself.”

“That ain’t true,” Jesse murmured, his voice hoarse and heavy.

“Do you have any idea what this man did to Genji? He  _ butchered _ his little brother! There was hardly even a  _ body _ to recover!”

“Yeah, Angie, I know. I watched him heal from all this shit during Blackwatch,” Jesse’s voice gradually went louder as his frustration grew, “he hardly even spoke for  _ years _ . Don’t act like I don’t know ‘bout this.”

“Then why?  _ Why?! _ ” Angela roared. Jesse watched in horror as her anger was accompanied by tears. “Once you learned who Hanzo was, why didn’t you walk away?”

Jesse froze at that, his mind rattling through all the possible outcomes of his answer. There was so much about how important Hanzo was to him that he could say, so much that he could hardly narrow it down. He settled for, well, the hard truth.

“Hanzo… Hanzo was there for me when I needed it most, Angie. Phantom pain, PTSD, depression, you fuckin’ name it, Hanzo was there to support me through all of it. And I did the same for him.” He paused, took a long breath, the wrath dissipating into melancholy. “The world ain’t black ‘n white. Hanzo’s done horrible shit, huh? Yeah, so did I. You still don’t think I can try and repent for that?”

Angela bit her lip at his words, her voice soft as she murmured, “Jesse, that’s not what I—”

“But it  _ is _ , Angie. I’ve killed tons of innocent people. So has Hanzo. So has most of Overwatch, new and old. What matters is redemption, and that’s what Hanzo’s strivin’ for.” He sighed through his nose. “It ain’t fair to ignore that.”

Silence fell over them like a wave for some time. Until Angela finally leaned her back against the metal door and her eyes drifted to the floor. She wiped at her eyes with her sleeves, sighing audibly.

“Genji forgave him, but I’m not sure if I can, Jesse. I—I had to piece him back together. I had to make him into a  _ weapon _ . A tool to be used, when all he truly wanted was to die. Guilt doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel.”

Jesse listened to her in silence, his hands idly running through Hanzo’s fur in order to keep him calm. Hanzo continued to growl at her lowly and glare regardless. 

“I apologize, Jesse. For… overreacting,” her eyes flickered down to the scattered flowers, “and for the mess. I will clean it up. I have another vase you can—”

“I appreciate it, Angie, but for Hanzo’s sake, I think you should head off. Bring a vase and towel and I can take care of it.”

Angela stared at him for some time, until she finally nodded, turning around to face the door. She pressed the button and it slid open, but she paused in the doorway. She glanced over her shoulder.

“If Hanzo is willing, I would like to apologize in person. Can you let him know?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll do that.”

She smiled at that. “Goodnight.” She stepped away and the door slid shut.

After her departure, Jesse’s eyes wandered to the mess of flowers remaining on the floor. Hanzo finally stopped growling once Angela was gone, and moved over to lick at his face. That made him chuckle a bit, easing much of the tension.

He grabbed the holovid device sitting on the nightstand, held it up to his face, and hit record.

* * *

 

The room that Overwatch assigned to him was decent enough, for what he needed. It was practically spartan, with nothing but a single bed, a dresser, and a small bathroom unit that the size of a closet. 

But, considering how many years he’d spent out on the road, he was a bit relieved to finally have some semblance of stability.

That didn’t mean the prospect wouldn’t make him anxious, either. Dr. Ziegler was in the process of deciding whether or not she should reveal their secret to the rest of Overwatch. Hanzo was under the impression of  _ no, she should not, _ but Jesse was up to it, for whatever reason. It was difficult to discuss it with him with only the communication of holovids and handwritten notes, so everything was at a standstill. 

For now, they agreed that Hanzo would remain in Jesse’s medbay room during the night. After transforming back into a human, Hanzo could roam about the Watchpoint as he pleased. This idea was perfectly fine for him at the moment, as he simply wished to be around Jesse as much as possible. He spent much of his time as a human in Jesse’s room as well, watching over him while in eagle form.

Then there was Hana.

It seemed that she had quickly grown accustomed to the Watchpoint’s lifestyle. It didn’t take long for her to befriend some Overwatch members, and Hanzo often saw her hanging around the Brazilian DJ as well as the Swedish mechanic. Hanzo didn’t care to know who they were, nor anyone else.

He was a lone wolf, after all.

They would brush past each other at times, but neither made the move to initiate a conversation. It seemed that Hana was still a bit shaken up over an incident involving his wolf form. Ziegler explained to him that he nearly attacked her. Hanzo would’ve been skeptical of the truth if it weren’t for the way Hana avoided him at all costs.

Though, he supposed, it was no different from how he had been avoiding Genji. It was still incredibly difficult to believe that his little brother was alive and an Overwatch member. Haunting, even. Like a ghost from the past sent here to torment him. Genji tried several times to initiate contact, but Hanzo always rushed off to avoid interaction. He needed to focus on solving his and Jesse’s issue before even beginning to delve into this one, so he essentially placed Genji onto the back burner of his mind.

About a week into their time at the Watchpoint, and Hanzo was just returning from the training facility. Working out in the morning just after his transformation had become something of a routine, and he enjoyed having the means to alleviate some of the adrenaline that built up over the night.

When he returned, he immediately showered, changed into his more casual clothing—a simple white tank and athletic shorts. He sat on the bed, leaning down to fumble with the boots covering his legs. Once they were removed, he set them aside and sighed deeply as he stretched the scarred, worn skin of everything below his knees.

It was then that he heard a knock on the door.

He didn’t answer nor did he move. The noise set him off a bit, and he was high and alert as he stared at the door. The knock happened again.

“Hanzo?”

A girl’s voice. Hana’s voice. Hanzo exhaled through his nostrils, chastising himself for being so overly cautious. If Hana finally wanted his attention, then perhaps it was best to grant it.

“Come in,” he called out, unable to get up without his boots, “it is unlocked.”

The door opened with a  _ swoosh _ and there Hana was, standing stiffly. She seemed at unease, judging by the haunting expression of her face. Despite this expression, she was wearing bubblegum pink pajamas decorated with the image of white rabbits. 

Hanzo glanced at the clock: 8:30. Perhaps she had just woken up and forgot to change.

“Hey,” Hana murmured as she stepped closer, the door shutting behind her. “I wanted t—”

Before she could finish, Hana froze in place, her eyes going wide. She was looking down, right at the torn flesh of his legs. Her eyes flicked to the left and saw the metal boots, as well. Hanzo huffed, internally irritated knowing he would have to explain  _ this _ now.

“It is nothing.” His immediate response was a bit too brisk, so he frowned and instead said, “I am… used to it.”

“All this time, you—”

Hana interrupted herself as if she realized how bad of a way to address the subject it was, but Hanzo only sighed.

“Did you think they were prosthetics? I suppose it is easier to assume so.”

Hana’s answer was a cautious nod.

“You were close,” Hanzo mused, now taking a glance down at his own legs, “I can walk without the supports, but it is… extremely difficult. So I suppose they may be almost like prosthetics.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“It is fine, Miss Song,” he held a hand at her, signaling an end to the conversation, “did you need something?”

“Uh, y—yeah. I just wanted to ask if you were…” she paused, fidgeting with the string that tied her pajama pants together, “if you were doing okay.”

Hanzo frowned. He wasn’t sure what she was talking about.

“I am fine. Is there a reason I wouldn’t be?”

This made her pause, stumbling over her words again. 

“Well… I believe Angela told you about what happened last week? As a wolf, you, uh… tried to attack me.” Hana let out a deep breath. “I’m sorry for avoiding you, it just… shook me up a bit.”

“It seems to me that I should be asking if you are alright, not the other way around.”

This gave Hana a small smile, and she shrugged. Hanzo would count that as a small victory. 

“I will be honest, Miss Song,” Hanzo began, leaning back a bit on the bed, “I do not remember what happened. Nor anything that happens while in my other form.”

Hana’s eyes went wide, surprised, and she said, “You don’t? Really?”

He shook his head, murmuring, “Only vague memories, mostly. Too vague to discern. Changing forms is almost like…” he paused, trying to quickly think of an accurate analogy, “sleeping. Changing back into a human always feels like I have woken up from a deep sleep. I feel energized, but I do not remember anything that happened before the change.”

“Interesting,” Hana mused, “is it the same for McCree?”

“I assume so.”

Hana hummed. She went silent once more, one hand rising to her face, fingers tapping idly at her chin.

“If it’s not too much to ask, I’ve, uh, been curious about,” she gestured both hands at Hanzo, “all this. Like, what happened? You don’t have to tell me, though.”

“I do not mind,” Hanzo said immediately, then hanging his head a bit, “it is only fair to tell you, after getting you involved in all this. I will warn you it is a long story.”

“I don’t mind!”

He nodded and moved himself to the end of the bed, gesturing at his side and offering a seat up to Hana. She obliged, slowly setting herself down and adjusting until she was seated comfortably.

It truly was a long story, and so Hanzo was silent for a few minutes as he tried to think of where to even begin. 

“I was betrothed, once.” An odd beginning, he realized, but Hana kept silent, so he persevered. “We both came from wealthy, prominent families, with large businesses. It was a betrothal over power and money, in order to combine our two families. Feelings were not  _ supposed _ to be involved.

“Yet of course, that is what happened. His feelings for me were completely one-sided, and it was not love, no… it was control. That is how it was at first, at least. Everything changed over time, and things—” Hanzo paused, images of Genji flashing in his mind rapidly. A blood-coated katana following a pool of crimson—Genji lying there in pieces with glossy, wide-open eyes.

“—happened,” he finally finished. After a few deep breaths, trying to scrub the thoughts from his head, he continued, “I left my home and spent my time on the run for a decade. My betrothed and I no longer communicated, as we had no means to reach each other. Over the years, I moved on. But he never did.

“It was during the last couple years on the run that I met Jesse. He was doing the same at that time. We met several times, always months apart, before finally realizing that we… we were in love.” Hanzo smiled softly at the memories. “My betrothed, however, was not happy to find out I was with another.

“I had no idea what he had been up to all those years. I hardly recognized him once we met again. He took me to Paris in an attempt to win me back, but I was not interested in a man who had joined in with scum like Talon. Someone within his ranks revealed to him that Jesse and I were together, and he was furious.

“I realize now we never mentioned it before, but what we go through is nothing short of a  _ curse _ . There is a witch amongst Talon, and he used her powers to inflict it upon us.” Hanzo paused, collecting his thoughts. It was difficult to control the sheer  _ rage _ he felt when looking back on what happened. “ _ Always together, eternally apart. _ That was the curse. It will remain as long as there is day and night, night and day. Nothing can break it.”

Hanzo glanced at Hana, curious what her reaction was now that his long explanation was finally over. There wasn't much of a reaction at all. Hana was slumped over, hands gripping tightly on her pants, eyes staring blankly at the door before them. Tiny dots of liquid decorated the corners of her eyes.

Silence passed over them, before Hana finally murmured, “Who was he? The man you were supposed to marry?”

“...His name was Akande.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Pink Camellia:** "Longing for you"  
>  **Arbutus:** "Thee only do I love"  
>  **Primrose:** "I can't live without you"
> 
> I'm always a slut for flower language


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything after this chapter was not proofread. Didn't have time but I will when I can. Apologies for any errors or inconsistencies

Angela hardly let him outside his tiny medbay room. Jesse was growing restless from the nights spent within it, doing little besides sitting on his bed, staring aimlessly at the ceiling. Hanzo’s company made everything more bearable, but not enough to warrant remaining in the room every night.

Now that his wound had healed considerably, Angela was finally giving him permission to step outside briefly and without her assistance. Jesse wanted to scoff at the notion, as she was acting as if he couldn’t even walk without support.

The medbay itself was normally empty, which made sense considering that Overwatch was still reforming and their team remained small. As far as Jesse knew, he was Angela’s only patient right now.

Which made it such a shock when he saw someone else during his nightly walk.

A woman, one that Jesse had never seen before. She was sitting out in the single waiting space at the end of the hall, sipping on a juice box. Inky black hair, long and flowing, rested over her right shoulder. Jesse quickly noticed that she was missing the entirety of her left arm, up to the shoulder joint.

“Howdy.” She didn’t notice him at all until he spoke up, her bright eyes flicking over to him. She seemed just as shocked to see him as he was to see her.

“...Hello.” A pause, followed by the softest of greetings.

Jesse figured he would break the ice, “Haven’t seen anyone else in here. You with Overwatch?”

She paused, turning her eyes away, down to her juice box.

“Yes,” she finally murmured, “very recently, I was recruited.”

Jesse hummed, “Figured. I didn’t recognize you from the old gang.”

She simply nodded, not responding to that statement. The juice box seemed to attract all of her attention.

Jesse clicked his tongue, moving closer to her in order to grab himself a drink from the vending machine at her side. She simply remained silent.

“You got a name?” Jesse didn’t want to pry her too much if she wasn’t comfortable with him around, so he opted for something safe.

“Satya Vaswani.” Her answer was clear, quick and concise. “And yourself?”

“Jesse McCree. I was in the old Overwatch.”

“I apologize,” she murmured, “I am not familiar with that.”

“Ain’t a problem,” Jesse offered her a shrug, opening his drink with his teeth, “I don’t expect everyone to be familiar with a team as big as that was.”

Jesse turned to face her, noticing that her eyes were latched on to where his left arm was meant to be. He’d gone without the prosthetic for so long he forgot just how noticeable it was without it.

“I see that we share something in common,” Satya said, her voice a bit louder than before, and she ended her statement with a small smile.

Jesse chuckled, taking a sip of his drink.

“I’m normally wearing a prosthetic.” Jesse gave a half-hearted shrug. “Not right now, though. Doctor’s orders.”

Satya gave a solemn glance to what remained of her arm, “Mine is currently being replaced. Lindholm and Dr. Ziegler have been working on it. I should have it again soon.

“Oh yeah? Torb made mine, too. Wouldn’t talk to me for _weeks_ after I asked him to put a skull on it.” He grinned at the fond, albeit far-off, memory.

“I apologize if this is too blunt, but…” Satya paused for a moment, the juice box in her hands once again becoming the most interesting object in the room. “Did you lose your arm while working for Overwatch?”

Jesse hummed. Satya froze, then quickly faltered.

“I apologize, I am simply… anxious for what’s to come.”

“Nah, I get it,” Jesse shrugged, offering her a sincere grin. “I did. It was during my last year, too. As soon as I healed up and got the arm from Torb I left.”

“Why?”

“Now _that_ ain’t a story I’m willin’ to share.”

Satya nodded, letting it drop.

“And you? You don’t gotta tell me if you don’t want to.” Jesse laughed, “I’m just nosy.”

“I did not… lose it, no. It was… removed.”

“Removed?”

“Surgically.”

Jesse squinted, his face scrunched up in his confusion, “What for?”

“All Vishkar architechs are required to do so. Our hard-light technology requires a certain prosthetic.”

Something finally clicked. Jesse let out a low whistle.

“So you worked for Vishkar. Now things are makin’ sense.” One thing didn’t quite add up, however. “So… you’re with Overwatch now? I thought Vishkar hated us.”

“Yes, well—“

“Jesse!”

A third voice cut in, one that Jesse groaned once he heard. He spun around to see Angela storming over to him, clad in her white lab coat, a clipboard in one hand. She jabbed at him on his good shoulder with the other.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere! I told you not to wander off for too long, Jesse.”

Jesse threw her a sheepish grin.

“I was just havin’ a conversation, Angie.”

Angela eyed Satya as if only just noticing she was there, but gave her a wave, and chirped, “How are you holding up, Ms. Vaswani?”

“Fine, thank you.”

“She was just tellin’ me ‘bout Vishkar,” Jesse butt himself back into the conversation, “y’all never told me we were takin’ folks in from them now.” His voice went low, almost threatening. Jesse dealt with Vishkar often during his Blackwatch days—needless to say, he didn’t trust them, or anyone associated with that organization.

Angela bit her lip, trying to avert her eyes from Jesse’s intense gaze. She was hiding something. Angela was never the best at condensing her emotions as her heart was almost always on her sleeve.

“Satya is… special,” Angela murmured, but didn’t give any context beyond that. Jesse eyed her suspiciously with an intense squint.

It was Satya instead who defended herself.

“I apologize if I have concerned you, McCree,” she spoke as she stood up, stepping closer to them, “I escaped Vishkar not too long ago, and Overwatch was kind enough to take me in.”

Jesse hummed, eyeing Satya with a suspicious squint. She didn’t falter at all from his gaze, remaining firmly upright, her eyes hard and focused.

“Escaped?” Jesse repeated, “Surprised to hear that.”

“Vishkar has become corrupt,” Satya said without hesitation nor a hint of emotion, “I could no longer see myself working for them. I hope this will not deter you from working together.”

Jesse paused, biting his lips. If only he had a cigar to chew on to keep himself busy. Satya seemed sincere despite her cold tone, but, well… Jesse had been betrayed before. He always had to keep his walls high and guarded.

Oddly enough, Satya was under the impression that he would be joining Overwatch.

“It ain’t a problem, ma’am,” Jesse said with a nonchalant shrug, “I ain’t here for Overwatch, anyhow.”

“You’re… not?” She was frowning, her thick brows bent with a perplexed look.

“Jesse is merely here for medical assistance,” Angela informed her with a chirp to her voice. “He is not answering the Recall.”

Satya paused at this, her bright eyes boring into his own. Her expression never faltered, nor did it change at all from the fierce look she was giving him. Just when Jesse was beginning to grow uncomfortable, she spoke up again.

“I believe it is time for me to rest. Good night, McCree.” Satya dumped her juice box into the disposal and stepped past them, back down the long hallway. Just before turning the corner, she glanced back at him with the tiniest of smiles. “May our paths cross again.”

With that, she was gone.

Jesse and Angela remained in the room in silence for several moments. Feeling irritated by the quiet, Jesse stumbled over to the vending machine to pop himself a drink. Angela finally spoke up first.

“I came to find you, Jesse, for your usual check-up, but… I didn’t expect that you would meet Miss Vaswani.”

Jesse responded after taking several swigs of his orange cream soda, “I ain’t gonna lie, Vishkar always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.” He sighed and turned around, facing Angela while leaning against the machine. “But if y’all trust her, then I’ll try, too.”

Angela huffed, but it wasn’t one of irritation. “She’s been through much, Jesse. She didn’t say it, but she escaped from Talon’s HQ and traveled all the way here from Paris by herself.” Jesse arched an eyebrow.

“She did?”

Angela nodded.

“Vishkar set themselves up there, recently. Winston has been keeping a close eye on them, but even he isn’t sure what’s been going on.”

“Sounds like bad news to me.”

“Yes,” Angela agreed with a swift sigh, “Satya’s arm is being replaced now because of this. Vishkar could track her through her old model. We can’t mimic the hard light technology, but… she claims she doesn’t want to use it ever again, regardless.”

Jesse hummed, “Don’t know much ‘bout any of that.” Angela laughed lightly at his nonchalance.

“Well, anyway, let’s get back to your room for your check-up.”

Jesse nodded, and downed the rest of his drink, tossing the can in the disposal.

As he followed Angela back to the room, back to where Hanzo patiently waited for him, his mind couldn’t help but wander. Talon was the only shot he and Hanzo had at finding a cure for their curse, by going straight to the source. However, breaking in to their HQ in Paris was too much for them alone.

But maybe—just maybe—Satya’s knowledge of the place could give them the chance they needed.


	9. Chapter 9

Normally, Jesse left his comm off and away from his attention. It was originally meant for contact with his Blackwatch teammates, but he hasn’t found any use for it since he abandoned Blackwatch all those years ago. Why he would keep something so useless was perhaps purely sentimental, but he did find use for it once more when he received the recall. 

Yet, just when he thought it would once more go unused, he opened it to see a new message. 

A bright purple adorned the message’s interface, showing him the logo of a pixelated skull. He was cautious, but opened it regardless. The message itself was encrypted, the bright purple flashing white in short spurts. Jesse watched it for some time, and soon picked up that it was morse code. He reset the message in order to watch it from the beginning.

_ M-E-E-T A-T C-L-I-F-F T-A-V-E-R-N 2-2-0-0 _

Jesse frowned, watching the code a second time just to ensure he read it correctly. The fact that he had a hunch over whose work this was left him feeling sick.

He shut off his comm, setting it down on the table beside the medbay bed he remained in. He groaned and rubbed at his face with his single flesh hand. Jesse moved himself up to sit a bit further forward, leaning over the bed for a glimpse down at Hanzo, curled up at the end and snoozing away. He smiled softly, his hand absentmindedly moving to play with wolf Hanzo’s fang that hung from a string around his neck.

Jesse tossed the thin blanket off his lap, throwing his legs over the bedside. The clock read 21:15. It would be a challenge to get to the tavern within that time frame. He figured the one waiting for him would be willing to wait. 

Knowing that Angela still didn’t want him to leave base as his wound was still healing, it would be an experience itself just escaping the Watchpoint under her nose. He first tore off his medical gown, attached his arm that sat on the bedside table, and slipped into his normal outfit of flannel and jeans. 

Jesse stepped over to the window first, the noise of his spurs jolting Hanzo awake. He messed with the window’s latch until it finally sprung open, and he ignored Hanzo’s weak whines as he peered out. Below the window was nothing but the cliffside, with roaring black waves even further down.

Jesse clicked his tongue. This wouldn’t work. He backed out, shutting the window. The front door was his only option. 

Hanzo remained right behind him, sitting up and looking at him expectantly. Hanzo was positively adorable in his wolf form, especially when he acted like a big puppy around him. Jesse knelt down to his level and gave him some scratches along his jaw.

“Hey, baby, don’t you worry ‘bout me. I’ll be back soon, ‘kay?”

Hanzo licked his cheek in response. Jesse chuckled warmly, giving him some extra pets, but went melancholy when he saw that Hanzo’s demeanor didn’t change a bit.

It was impossible to tell if Hanzo was still conscious when in this form. Or if he even knew who he was. Jesse had no recollection of his time as an eagle.

With one final kiss to Hanzo’s forehead, Jesse bid him goodnight and threw on his cloak and hat before stepping out of the cramped little room. He was able to leave the Watchpoint without much difficulty and he made his way over to the town that bordered Gibraltar.

Cliff Tavern was a tiny, dinky little place in the rowdier part of town. This early into the night, there wasn’t too many people hanging around there. Not that there  _ ever _ was. Even back in the Blackwatch days, the place was like a ghost town.

Jesse stepped inside, ignoring the bartender’s greeting in order to scout the place out. Some patrons played pool on one side of the building, jamming out to the [music] machine as they did. Beyond that was merely a few loners at various spots around the bar. 

Then, he finally spotted her. She was in disguise, one that was obviously not given much thought or effort, dressed in casual clothing. Her purple-black ombre hair was a dead giveaway, along with the cybernetic enhancements that were attached to her skull.

“Olivia. Good to see ya.”

He stepped over to where she sat, a run-down booth in the back corner, and she turned her attention from her phone to glance up at him.

“Que onda?” she smirked, giving him a wave with a twirl of her nails. “I haven’t seen you since, well… you know.”

Jesse frowned as he sat across the table from her, as it wasn’t a memory he was particularly fond of. Jesse only knew about Sombra through Gabe, but once she joined up with Talon, all bets were off. Thinking about the event that gave her enough credentials to join Talon was enough to make his blood boil.

_ Everything _ was her fault.

“Yeah, well,” he muttered darkly, leaning back in the seat and crossing his arms, “you better have a damn good reason for showin’ your face to me after the shit you pulled.”

Her smile turned down from that. A rare sight for someone like Sombra, who always had her playing cards on the field. Oddly enough, her face almost seemed to curl into  _ guilt _ . Almost. 

“ _ Jessito _ … c’mon, you know I didn’t know Akande would… do that.”

“I don’t  _ care _ . Sellin’ us out got ya into Talon. You ruined our lives, and for what?” He leaned closer, arms crossed over the table, “Some brownie points?”

Sombra’s lips curled into a grimace, and she slammed her phone onto the table, her voice going low, almost venomous, “I have my reasons for what I did. Joining Talon is the only way to get what I  _ need _ . But,” her tone lightened up a bit, sounding more sombre instead, “that doesn’t mean I don’t regret what I did. I never expected the outcome to be… well,  _ this _ .”

Jesse huffed. “It still don’t make it right.”

“I know.” Sombra shrugged, biting her lip. “That’s why I’m here. I want to help you. Both of you.”

Jesse grimaced, not buying this act at all. Sombra was not the type to apologize or try to help others for anything but her own gain. Letting her give her assistance was just asking for problems.

He leaned back again, his fingers twitching for a cigar, deciding to tap on the wooden surface of the table instead. 

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ve got no reason to trust you.”

Sombra’s expression remained melancholic, maybe even sympathetic, and it was shocking for him to see her like this. He wanted to leave, at this point. The situation was uncomfortable by now, seeing her just stare at him with an empty gaze in her eyes.

Just as he made to stand, something snapped. She slapped her hands on the table, grinning wildly.

“You’re getting some help anyway, Jessito,” she then crossed her own arms and leaned back with a smug expression, “I have intel for you.”

Jesse gave her a suspicious squint. “Intel?”

“There’s a solar eclipse soon. Exactly a month from today.” She raised a singular, well-manicured finger as she explained. Jesse simply shrugged at her.

“So?”

“What do you mean  _ so? _ ” Sombra hissed, looking incredulous, “When night and day collide, maybe you’ll both become human. Who knows?”

Jesse froze, eyes wide. Everything seemed to come to a halt—he could hardly even breathe. The realization struck him quick as lightning. 

A day without night. A night without day. 

“I know Overwatch is making plans to come to Rialto and pay us a visit,” Sombra continued, acting as if Jesse wasn’t frozen stiff, “plan around the eclipse. You should both meet Akande as humans. Maybe he’ll even break the curse.”

Jesse’s eyes locked with hers, and his expression went sour. There was something she hinted at, but it was difficult to pinpoint.

Sombra shrugged, grinning, “I wonder what would happen?”

Still, Jesse didn’t say a word. He locked eyes with her for some time, before he groaned and stood abruptly, pointing towards the door. Only the slightest brush on his shoulder halted him, and he spun around to see Sombra holding a card out to him between two fingers.

“Call me in case you change your mind,” she chirped before stepping away, leaving the bar entirely.

Jesse grumbled, glancing at the card for only a moment before stuffing it in his pocket and stepping outside, making his way back to Gibraltar.

As soon as Jesse returned to the Watchpoint, he bolted into his medbay room, startling Hanzo as he rushed inside. He ignored Hanzo’s whines in order to shuffle through his pile of belongings that remained on the floor in the far corner of the room. Once he finally dug out his device for holovids that he and Hanzo shared, he stood and initiated a recording.

Hanzo sat before him on his rear, his golden eyes glancing up at him curiously. Jesse paused for breath, and in those eyes he could see the man he loved so dearly. Even when his form changed, Hanzo’s headstrong demeanor remained.

The recording drew back his attention, and Jesse looked directly into the camera, trying his best to imagine that he was speaking to Hanzo directly. 

“Hey, sugar,” he murmured sheepishly, throwing a sweet grin to the camera, “I got somethin’ you ought to know. Somethin’ that I don’t think we should tell Hana yet.”

He explained his encounter with Sombra, from the initial message he received up until she delivered her cryptic message for him to ponder over. 

“I know this sounds crazy, pumpkin, and I know we shouldn’t trust anythin’ she says. But if there really is an eclipse, I think we should do what she said.” Jesse sighed, pulled off his hat, held it against his chest. “I know that, if we both had time together as humans, that we should spend it wisely. As much as I wanna love on ya the whole time, I’d much rather try somethin’ that could make us human again.  _ Always. _ ” He sighed, giving the camera a long, hardy stare. “That’s all I wanted to say. Lemme know your answer tomorrow. Love ya.” And he ended the recording.

* * *

 

Hanzo awoke yet again on the chilly, sterile white flooring of the medbay. Despite how hot the winter was this far south, the doctor kept the medbay cold enough that it truly felt like the season. He stood, stretched, and shivered before finding his clothes, slipping them on. A quiet squawk drew his attention, and he turned to Jesse, who sat in his usual nest amongst the crimson cloak. Jesse’s beady eyes were gazing at him, and Hanzo threw him a soft smile, giving him some scratches along his neck feathers.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Hanzo cooed. Jesse squawked in delight.

Hanzo noticed their holovid device sitting on the bedside table. He stepped over and lifted it. A note sat on the top, filled with Jesse’s chicken scratch handwriting. 

_ Got an important message for you. Listen when you wake up. _

_ Love, Jesse <3 _

An important message, indeed. Hanzo watched the holovid in silence, his entire body going cold by the end of it. He nearly dropped the device by the time it ended. His mind raced with images of the person in the mask, sitting high amongst the trees. The words played again in his head:  _ A day without night, and a night without day. Keep an eye out on the sky, dragon. You’ll understand what I mean soon enough. _

He immediately set up a response recording.

“Jesse!” His voice was desperate but scratchy and hoarse given that he had only just woken up, but he pursued onward, “I have been told something similar, Jesse. Someone told me to watch for the sky, for a day without night, and a night without day. Surely this is what they were talking about.” He paused to catch his breath, but then his voice faltered. “Please… tell Hana. If what we’ve been told is true, we need her help.”

Hanzo went silent for some time, the words all leaving him entirely. The thought of seeing Jesse in the flesh again left him speechless. He didn’t even notice he was crying until he felt the tears drip into his beard.

“I love you, Jesse,” he said at a whisper, “so much.”

He ended the recording.


	10. Chapter 10

Approaching Hana about their situation was a hurdle Hanzo needed to cross, but he couldn’t help but hesitate, despite reminding himself it would be for the best. Jesse, in his most recent message, agreed that it would be a good idea to ask Hana for her help in confronting Akande.

Hana was in the shooting range, training with targets using her pistol, when Hanzo arrived. He stood completely still, staring at her, waiting until she was finished so he could speak. She paused halfway through a clip, turning her head to glance at him with a confused frown, and his entire body tensed like a bowstring.

“Hey, what’s up?” she said, moving away from the range, locking her pistol into safety mode.

“I, uh,” Hanzo stumbled briefly. There was so much to say, but he hardly knew where to begin. “Jesse and I… need your help.”

She answered with a slight head turn, the confused look not faltering.

Hanzo sighed, ran a hand over his slicked-back hair, until he finally continued, “It is—it is complicated. I suppose I can begin with… well, we may have a lead on how to break the curse.”

Hana gasped, her eyes seemed to sparkle, and she clapped her hands together once.

“Really?!”

“Perhaps,” Hanzo murmured, feeling far less enthusiastic over the prospect, simply because of how much doubt remained in his mind. “We are uncertain if it is true. But we do know a solar eclipse is on its way.”

Another gasp, “An eclipse? Then that means—”

“Yes. If the sun and moon converge, then we may become human at the same time.”

“And the curse will break?”

Hanzo grimaced. “It… may not be that simple. Our intel suggested that we confront Akande as humans.”

“Oh,” Hana murmured, eyes drifting to the floor, “so… why do you need my help, then? I don’t know what I can do.”

“We need you to bring Jesse there. I cannot carry him and fight at the same time.” Hanzo paused briefly for breath, then laughed once. “He cannot exactly fly inside a building, either.”

“Yeah, I can do that.” Hana didn’t hesitate for even a moment, and Hanzo was quite surprised to see so. “So what’s the plan?”

Hanzo leaned forward, grabbing onto Hana’s shoulder with a single hand, his voice going low. 

“Convince Winston to plan Yuna’s rescue around the eclipse. He will most likely call for another meeting, and I can handle everything from there.

Hana nodded, a fierce, determined look adorning her face alongside her wide grin.

“Let’s fucking do this.”

Hanzo chuckled lightly, pulling away and stepping past Hana to the next shooting range. He slipped off his bow and quiver, pulling down the left side of his kyudo-gi until his entire left side was exposed. Hana’s eyes went so wide Hanzo was afraid they would pop out of her skull.

“You have a tattoo?!” she gasped incredulously.

“Ah.” Hanzo glanced at the dragon sleeve adorning his left side, from pec to wrist. “Yes. You really never saw it before?”

“I’ve never seen you without your gi! What the hell, man, you need to show it off more often!”

Hanzo simply smiled at that, slightly rolling his eyes at her ridiculousness.

“Anyway, why’re you stripping in front of me?” she asked, standing before her own range and pulling her pistol back out.

“I figured it would be best to begin training for this mission.” Hanzo grinned wickedly, pointing to the target at the end of Hana’s range. “Show me what you can do,  _ Usagi _ .” 

Hana rolled her own eyes at the nickname, “Watch it, old man, you’re acting a bit too much like your boyfriend over there.” 

“I do not see you shooting.”

Hana raised her arms into a standard shooting position, and she said, “Oh, you’re  _ on _ .”

* * *

 

“We know for certain now that Lee Yuna is being held at Talon HQ,” Winston read off a holo-tablet as he spoke, then lifting his head up to the holographic map floating above the recon table. The display of the planet rotated until Europe was in the center, a single red dot blinking over Paris, then zooming closer to get a view of the city. Winston moved the image around until it focused on one particular tall edifice amongst a swarm of others. “However, it is still unknown exactly where she is being held.”

Hana watched the meeting intently, eyes hyperfocused on the map before her. The rest of the team watched the display as well, but seemed far less concerned about the prospect of entering Talon’s HQ. 

“Now,” Winston continued, coughing once into his fist, “I propose we send a small team. Three agents, plus our guests who will accompany them. Hanzo, do you have a preference for who may join you?”

Hanzo was sitting at the far end of the table, arms crossed and with a pouting frown all over his face, possibly due to how close he had to sit next to Genji. Angela was sitting between the two brothers. At the call of his name, Hanzo stood, and spoke proudly.

“Jesse wishes to have Satya Vaswani lead us inside. She is familiar with the building. I will say that I agree with him.”

“This… is true,” Winston murmured, swiping at his tablet. “Miss Vaswani, do you have any objections? You have received your new prosthetic, but I worry there won’t be enough time before the eclipse to adapt to it.”

All eyes drifted over to her, but hers were only focused on Winston’s. She brushed her hair over one shoulder, playing with the strands idly with her single flesh hand.

“I do not think it will be a problem, no. I would be honoured to assist as best I can.”

“Good, good,” Winston murmured, jotting something down on the tablet, “this will be your first official mission, Agent Symmetra. Let’s hope it’s a success.”

Satya responded with a slight bow to her head before her attention returned to her hair.

“Now then, since we are greeting Talon head-on for two separate reasons, I believe we should have two teams. Hanzo and Symmetra will confront Doomfist. On the other hand, there is the original intention, which is to rescue Miss Lee. For that team, I believe Agents Tracer and Genji would be best suited.”

Hanzo slammed his hand on the hard, metal table, and he roared, “Absolutely  _ not! _ ”

“And why is that,  _ anija _ ?” Genji’s robotic voice was a stark contrast to Hanzo’s, light and pleasant as opposed to heavy and harsh. 

Hanzo’s wide eyes turned to his brother immediately, “I—I cannot—”

“You don’t have a choice,” Winston cut both of them off harshly, “I do apologize, Hanzo, but Genji is best suited for this mission. He has considerable skill in stealth thanks to his many years in our black ops division.” Winston paused briefly, his voice suddenly going cold, “I will not jeopardize the mission for your comfort.”

Hanzo was  _ fuming _ , his chest heaving with his breaths. He had gone dead silent, however, and he simply dropped himself back into his seat without a single word, arms crossed furiously. He averted his eyes away from Genji.

The cyborg finally chimed, “I would be honoured, Winston.”

“Very well. Agent Tracer, any objections?”

“Nope!” she chirped with her typical, highly energized voice.

“Good. Now then, there is the issue of McCree. He will be in his eagle form during the eclipse, and I’ve yet to figure out how to transport him until the eclipse. It’s possible that someone could carry him, but—”

“I’ll do it.”

All eyes turned to Hana, the majority of which were wide, their surprise obvious. All except for Hanzo, who was already aware of this prospect. Winston was staring at her with a far more heavy expression. One that was almost solemn.

“Miss Song, I understand that you wish to help, but—”

“I was in the military. You think I can’t handle this?”

“Er, no, it’s—”

“Winston,” Hana paused, locking her eyes directly with the Strike Commander’s, “I  _ need _ to do this. McCree trusts me, and he wanted me to take care of him.”

Winston stared at her for several moments before finally taking a deep sigh and saying, “Very well.” Hana cheered internally, her only outward joy being a wide grin.

Winston continued on with his presentation, hardly skipping a beat, “The eclipse will arrive on December 20th. We will leave for Paris two days prior. I have a bunker outside the city prepared for you all—”

“I have a question,” Hanzo said, standing from his seat once more, his dark eyes boring into Winston’s. “How are we going to slip inside in broad daylight without Talon noticing?”

Winston stuttered, but then his eyes turned to Satya. Hanzo’s gaze followed, and the woman was once again the center of attention. 

“Sewers,” she said simply, speaking as if it was obvious. “Paris is full of them. I escaped once. I can do it again.”

Hanzo scrunched his nose at the prospect, making a face of absolute disgust. But he settled for that answer, going silent once more as he sat himself down. 

“Alright,” Winston declared, clapping his hands together, “I believe we’ve covered everything. If anyone has further questions, speak with me directly. Meeting adjourned.”

Everyone rose from their seats without hesitation, rushing from the recon room as quickly as possible. Everyone except Hana, whose eyes were staring blankly at the holograph map of Talon’s HQ before it finally blinked away.

Hanzo, too, remained seated. Hana didn’t even notice he was there until she felt a tap on her shoulder, and she glanced up to see Hanzo standing beside her. He gave the smallest possible smile, which was huge in Hanzo’s case.

“I believe we should begin training sooner than later.” He pointed at the door with his thumb over his shoulder. “Care to join me?”

Hana didn’t hesitate for a single second before following after him with a skip to her step.


	11. Chapter 11

It took far longer than he would’ve liked, but it was finally time for Angela to dispatch him from the medbay. 

Jesse waited impatiently throughout the whole process, as she began with removing the IV and wrapping a bandage over his elbow. She then turned her attention to the bandages over his left shoulder, double checking to see that the entry wound had completely healed over before removing them entirely. 

After detaching him from the machines at his bedside, she patted his other shoulder and chirped, “All done. You’re free to go, Jesse.”

“Fuckin’  _ finally _ ,” he murmured playfully, dodging the smack Angela tried to deliver. “Much appreciated, Angie.”

“Do you want me to take you to your room?”

Jesse paused, thinking. He realized with a pang that he was now completely unfamiliar with the current state of the Watchpoint outside of this medbay, so he nodded. 

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

He finally was able to dress out of his hospital gown, slipping on his much preferred jeans topped with red and black flannel. The look felt complete once he popped on his hat and the cloak. Angela gathered the rest of his belongings around the room and led him outside. Hanzo followed closely at his heel.

Jesse sighed contently once they stepped outside, the salty breeze from the sea keeping them cool from the standard Gibraltar warmth. He looked out beyond the cliffs to the waters, but frowned, disappointed that he could only see black waters, not blue.

Hopefully soon, that would change. His mind flashed with images, fantasizing about him and Hanzo running down to the beach in broad daylight, the sun warm above them and the crystal clear waters surrounding them. It was easy to feel a great sense of melancholy and borderline depression, not remembering the last time he had even seen the sun. No life should be lived in darkness.

A tug at his cloak, and his attention snapped from the horizon, turning over to see Angela, giving him a concerned frown.

“Jesse? Is everything alright?”

Jesse didn’t respond right away. His eyes turned, trailing down to Hanzo’s.

“Nah, I’m fine. Let’s go.”

Angela nodded and released her hand, pointing her head behind them before leading him in that direction. She brought them down to where the Watchpoint’s old shared dormitories used to be, and Jesse felt whiplash as all the memories of his time spent here rushed through him. It was haunting, now, to see everything empty and decrepit. 

They moved past those, into the part of the facility where the single rooms were. Angela stopped before door #4.

“Here we are. Hanzo has been staying here, too. I hope it is suitable.”

“Angie, we spent years sleeping on dirt. Anythin’s suitable.”

She laughed, tapping the button on the door for it to open. Angela stepped inside, setting Jesse’s belongings down on the single dresser within the tiny room. 

“If you need anything, ask Athena to call for me,” Angela said as she walked out of the room, giving Jesse nothing but a tiny wave. The door slid shut after her. 

Jesse froze, feeling suddenly overwhelmed. It wasn’t exactly as big of a room as he expected, but it was fine for just one person, he supposed. One person and a wolf. 

Hanzo moved past Jesse, curling up and laying down against the far corner of the room. Even when he was trying to make himself as small as possible, Hanzo was large enough that he still took up quite a bit of space.

Jesse couldn’t think of anything to do that would occupy his time until dawn, so he considered sleeping. Spending half his life as an animal never made sleep necessary while he was human, but sometimes it was something he could do to just, well,  _ feel _ human again.

He stripped out of his clothes, chastising himself for getting all dressed up just to move rooms. Hanzo kept his eyes on him all the while, and Jesse chuckled at him.

“What’re you lookin’ at? Sorry, baby, can’t have any o’ this ‘til you got the right body again.”

Hanzo whined, laid down on his side, and covered his eyes with his front legs. Jesse grinned, moving over to the closet-sized bathroom and stepping into the shower. The scalding water left him sighing in utter relief. He couldn’t even remember the last time he was able to take a  _ real _ shower. Hanzo and himself spent far too many years out in the wilderness for his liking, plus all the time he spent on the road before they even met. 

After finishing up and drying himself off, he studied the insides of the single dresser, finding that half of it was filled with Hanzo’s clothes and the other half was his own, carefully folded and stack in order of colour. Hanzo must have had plenty of time on his hands lately, but Jesse nevertheless smiled at the sweet gesture. 

He found his flannel pajama pants, slipping them on over his boxer briefs. He paused before closing the drawer, spotting Hanzo’s workout clothes on the other side. Without really thinking, his single hand drifted over to the first white tank top he spotted. He lifted it up, bringing it closer to himself, up to his nose. Despite being recently washed, it was impossible to remove Hanzo’s smell from the fabric after the many years Hanzo spent lifting while wearing the same white tanks. 

While it was probably odd, maybe even disgusting, to take a big whiff of the tank, it also served as one of the few ways he could imagine Hanzo, in human form, was still with him.

The novelty didn’t last long, and he stuffed the tank back into the drawer, slamming it shut before flopping down onto the incredibly narrow bed. He rolled over onto his back, staring blankly at the ceiling.

A soft whine pulled him out of his trance, and he looked over to see Hanzo standing at his bedside, golden eyes boring into his.

“What?” Jesse said, moving his hand to pet his head.

Hanzo’s eyes were not-so-subtly pointing back and forth between him and the bed.

Jesse groaned. Until he finally papped his chest with his hand, and Hanzo leaped on top of the mattress, making himself comfortable on Jesse’s chest, laying down beside him, head resting on his shoulder. Hanzo would always snuggle with Jesse just like this back when they were both human, arms wrapped over his waist in a death grip and with their legs tangled together.

It was a struggle to keep himself from crying at the thought, longing for days long gone.

* * *

 

Jesse woke up as human the next night, finding himself laying on the floor of his and Hanzo’s shared room, completely nude, as always. He looked around for Hanzo, spotting him laying on the bed, fast asleep. For whatever reason, Jesse was feeling groggy. Normally, their transformation made them energized, as if just waking up from the best sleep of their life. Yet not tonight.

He stood slowly, crawling his way over to the shower, hoping the boiling hot water could help wake him up. He stood under the spray, hanging his head low and mind wandering away into a daze.

A knock at the door pulled him from his trance, and he shut off the water. It was probably Angela, checking up on him despite it no longer being necessary. He grumbled as he stepped out, wrapping a towel over his crotch and stumbling over to the door.

It was Hana.

“Hey,” she said with a wave, looking sheepish, “are you busy?”

He was probably just feeling grumpy, but he had to stop himself from asking if he looked like he wasn’t, with nothing but a towel and dripping water all over the carpet. Instead, he simply shrugged, putting on a fake grin.

“Obviously not ready to go anywhere, but I could fix myself up. You got somethin’ in mind?”

“It’s a surprise!” she said, clapping her hands together, “I’ll wait out here, lemme know when you’re ready!” She shut the door without waiting for his reply.

Jesse sighed and shuffled back to the bathroom to dry himself off. Whatever it was that Hana wanted to do, it better be worth his while. After dressing himself and attaching his prosthetic, he stepped outside and saw her sitting against the wall. She perked up and stood once she noticed him, then she took his metal hand and rushed him down the hallway.

“This way!” 

“Woah, Hana! What’re we—”

“Hush, I told you, it’s a surprise!”

Hana was relentless, hardly slowing down at all before finally bringing Jesse to their destination, which was… the old rec room?

Hana dragged him inside, flicking on the lights. Jesse blinked at the sudden brightness, shielding his eyes until they properly adjusted. The old room was almost the same as he remembered it. It was eventually replaced with a room much bigger for the rest of the numbers that once lived on this Watchpoint, but it seemed now that it had been renovated and updated for the new, much smaller, team. 

The dingy old couch had been completely replaced with a nice new one made of a black pleather. It faced an even bigger holotelevision than the one they had before. Behind that set-up was a small kitchen along with a few dining tables with chairs. This area is where Hana directed Jesse’s attention. 

Sitting on the table was a dozen or so cupcakes topped with one huge layer of white frosting.  _ Congrats on your recovery! _ was written on the top in a crimson red. A bottle of bourbon sat beside the display.

“Now what’s all this?” Jesse asked, trying to cover the stupidly wide grin with his hand. 

“It’s not obvious?” Hana said with a giggle. “I made these for you!” She took one of the cupcakes from the corner of the set-up, handing it to him. “Hope you like cupcakes almost as much as you love  _ your _ cupcake.”

Jesse chortled a single laugh and accepted the treat, giving a slight tip of his hat.

“This is real sweet, Cottontail.” Jesse meant it, earnestly. He hadn’t been treated to anything like this since, well… not since his Blackwatch days. 

Gabe and Ana always made sure to get him something for his birthday, whether it was a desert or something they thought he’d like. His heartstrings panged in yearning for those days, seeming much further away than they actually were.

“Well, I just…” Hana paused, bit her lip, her energetic air vanishing so quickly that Jesse began to worry. “I wanted to thank you, McCree. For everything you and Hanzo did for me.” She smiled wide. “Save some cupcakes for him, okay?”

Jesse took a huge bite out of his while she spoke, trying not to laugh before swallowing it all down. “I’ll, uh do my best.” He paused, then added, “You can call me Jesse, y’know. We’re friends after all.”

“Yeah?” she was grinning wildly, “I’ll do that!”

She giggled, moving away from him and over to the holo-TV. Jesse turned to watch what she was doing, as she grabbed the remote tablet and fiddled with it. Seconds later, Johnny Cash began blasting through the speakers, and Jesse couldn’t help but guffaw.

“What’re you—”

She spun around, holding out a single hand towards him, a mischievous grin plastered over her face.

“You dance?”

“Oh, no, no, absolutely not—”

She rushed forward, taking his hands, dragging him towards her and throwing them both into a spin. They twirled in a circle within the tiny room, just barely dodging the furniture. Their movements matched that of Johnny Cash, singing of swirling down into a ring of fire. Around and around, they continued, until finally needing to pause to catch their breath.

“You’re… you’re a menace,” Jesse said breathlessly as he heaved, hunched over. Hana answered by sticking her tongue out at him.

One song ended, and another began. A song about life and love, detailing a couple who could never be together. Jesse froze, mind and body going blank as he listened intently to the lyrics. 

His eyes briefly caught Hana’s, and her cheerful demeanor had gone sombre. 

“Hey,” she said softly, patting his shoulder, “you wanna watch a movie? I had Athena download a bunch of old westerns.”

Jesse was still struggling to move, or even to breathe. The small, warm hand that pressed against him was all that could stabilize him back to this plane. The images of Hanzo flashing through his mind had to be pushed back and shoved away.

_ Soon _ , he had to remind himself,  _ soon we’ll be together again _ .

“Y—Yeah, that sounds good.”

Hana smiled and sat him down on one end of the couch. She handed him another cupcake, taking one for herself, before plopping down on the other end. She grabbed the tablet, shuffling through.

“Do you care what I pick?” she asked through a mouthful.

“Nah. Anythin’s fine.” Anything to distract him was welcome.

As she pressed play on A Fistful of Dollars, leaning over the armrest and making herself comfortable. Jesse watched the movie idly, hands shuffling together in order to ground him into reality.

About halfway through, Jesse glanced over to see that Hana passed out and she was sleeping over the armrest. He continued to watch the movie, moving only to grab one last cupcake for the night, until the credits rolled and the holo-TV went blank.

Jesse wasn’t sure just how long he sat there, staring at the empty screen, before he finally covered Hana’s sleeping form with his cloak and returning to his room for the night.


	12. Chapter 12

 

December 20th finally arrived.

The strike team made it to northern France the day prior, spending the night camping outside the city of Paris within a bunker. It was a bit too small for the five of them (and one animal), but they managed.

Anxiety could hardly even describe how Hanzo was feeling. This was it—a means of an end to the curse that had been haunting them for the last five years. He had longed for this day for far too long.

Of course, this was assuming that what they had learned was true. Hanzo was still confused over his encounter with the masked stranger in the forest and their cryptic message. Jesse himself didn’t trust Sombra nor the information she gave him. Yet with two completely unrelated people telling them to do this, surely it was the answer to breaking their curse.

Hanzo didn’t care, really. He would risk everything if it mean he could embrace Jesse, both as humans, once again.

As soon as dawn arrived and he changed into his human form, he put on his hakama, tucking the ends inside his support boots. Stepping outside the bunker without a shirt, he shivered a bit at how chilly it was. They were much further north than in Gibraltar, and out here it actually _felt_ like it was winter. It didn’t help that the sky was completely overcast, and the sun was hardly visible through the thick clouds.

He stretched before going through his usual morning routine and workout. By the time he finished, he was growing ansty and eager for action. He moved to step inside to grab his bow and quiver, but halted in his tracks when Genji stepped through the entrance.

“Yo,” he said with a two-finger salute.

This is what Hanzo truly feared the most. Genji should never have been assigned to this mission, considering their history together. It infuriated Hanzo that Winston insisted on this arrangement.

Genji leaned along the door frame with one hand on his hips, blocking the entire entrance, and said in his hauntingly robotic voice, “You got a minute, _anija_?”

“No, I do not. Let me through, I am busy.”

“Busy running around half naked at eight in the morning?”

Hanzo grimaced, “I am training.”

“Right. _Training_ ,” Genji enunciated his sarcasm with air quotes. “We should talk.”

Hanzo huffed, backed off, his arms crossing defiantly. “I would prefer not to.”

“Why?!” Genji finally lost his cool, his hands splayed out before him, “Why won’t you _talk_ to me? I know this is much to process. I have forgiven you, brother, yet you avoid me as if I am a ghost.”

“You…” Hanzo paused, sighed, “you may as well be.”

Genji froze, his arms dropping at his sides. He sighed, loudly, his gaze through the metal helmet moving to the ground.

Hanzo slumped as the silence passed over them. He _tch_ ed to himself, chastising his own foolishness. There would never be an easy way to make amends.

“Genji, I—I just—” he sighed, ran a hand over his forehead, before finally uttering, “I need time. Right now, regaining human form is my only concern. But after, perhaps… we can talk.”

Genji was staring at him, long and hard, the silence returning briskly. His head hung down a fraction of an inch.

“Very well. I will wait.”

Then he turned and headed back into the bunker.

All desire Hanzo had to train left him in a rush, and instead he simply felt sick to his stomach.

* * *

 

The eclipse would begin just before noon, reaching its peak an hour later. The strike team spent the morning assembling their gear and preparing themselves before they were picked up by a transport and brought to Paris. The transport itself took a longer route around the city, speeding over the waters before landing on the eastern portion of the island.

Satya led them swiftly to the sewers where she made her initial escape. She explained in passing how the sewer tunnels of Paris are all interconnected, and _somehow_ she managed to memorize the winding path she took from Talon’s HQ building all the way to the Seine river.

The strike team followed her swiftly, and silently. Satya took the lead, followed by himself, with Tracer and Genji behind him, and Hana between the two, carrying Jesse carefully within his cloak.

Hanzo struggled to quench his anxieties, but he had to. For Jesse’s sake.

The thought of confronting Akande for the first time since their curse began was exceptionally nerve-wracking. He was an intimidating man, given his large stature, and powerful frame. Akande was much softer at heart, however, than he was ever willing to admit. Hanzo remembered vividly the way that Akande would gently caress or even kiss him, his large hands so gentle and cautious. Akande never wanted to harm anything he cared deeply for.

Whether that sentiment still applied to Hanzo or not was debatable.

Satya stopped before a staircase leading back above ground, and she turned to look at the rest of the team.

“We are here,” she declared, gesturing to said staircase. It was difficult to see her expression now that her eyes were covered by a glass visor, but Hanzo did notice them gazing at him, specifically, before flickering away. “This path will take us directly into Talon’s basement.”

“So, as Winston said, we split up, do our own things, then meet back here, yeah?” Tracer chirped, her fingers tapping at her chin.

“Keep your comms online,” Genji said, stepping over to the stairwell, “we never know what might be waiting to greet us.”

“Hanzo and I should go first. Wait some time before following,” Satya said, blocking Genji from moving further with her prosthetic arm. “It is more suspicious if we all go at once.” Genji simply nodded and backed off.

Satya glanced at Hanzo, tilted her head as if to say “let’s go,” then stepped up. He hesitated to follow. His attention switched over to Hana and Jesse. He could hardly pull his eyes away from Jesse’s, bright and piercing directly at him.

“Take care of him,” he said, to Hana, before turning away with a grimace and following the architech up the stairwell.

* * *

 

Hana struggled tremendously with following Tracer and Genji, practically sprinting just to keep up with them. Jesse wasn’t enjoying it any more than she was, squawking at the jerky movements. A hood was placed over his head to keep him somewhat calm until the eclipse reached its peak, but Jesse was still fidgeting around far too much.

Tracer was the worse of the two, blinking ahead when it wasn’t necessary. Genji, at least, would glance back to keep an eye on Hana as they wandered through the empty corridors.

The two finally stopped at a corner at the end of the hallway, in which Tracer glanced around, then gave them both a wink.

“All clear!”

She was about to rush off again before Hana hissed, “Can you both slow down a bit? Please?” Jesse squawked again and she shushed him, growing frustrated by the second.

Tracer and Genji exchanged looks, for far longer than Hana would’ve liked. Until finally, Genji turned to her.

“Hana, maybe it is best for you to hide somewhere. Until Jesse transforms, that is. We will get Yuna.”

“B—But,” Hana stuttered, bit her lip, and heaved a sigh, “I wanted to be there for her once we found her.”

“I understand,” Genji said, his voice calm and soothing. He placed his hands on Hana’s shoulders gently, the vibrant green from his visor gazing down at her. “But Jesse and Hanzo are counting on _you_ to bring them back together. You cannot fail them.”

Hana paused, sighed, then finally gave him a slight nod, acquiescing. “You’re right.”

“We will bring Yuna safe and sound. I promise.” Genji stood, backing away, then pointed down the hallway from which they came. “Hanzo and Satya headed that way.”

“Thanks,” Hana murmured, adjusting her grip on Jesse and his cloak. She gave Genji a slight bow of her head before spinning around and moving back the way they came. Fortunately for Jesse’s sake, she no longer had to move at a sprint, and he finally calmed down.

She was a bit upset, knowing that she wouldn’t be there for Yuna. Yet she also knew that Tracer and Genji were better suited for the job. They would be fine, and Hana had to fulfill her promise. That was more important right now, she had to remind herself.

* * *

 

Satya, miraculously, was familiar enough with Talon’s home base that she was able to navigate Hanzo directly to where Akande’s chamber was. It was a bit of a trek from the basement they entered through, but there was plenty of time before the eclipse.

“Each leader of Talon has their own chambers,” she explained to him as she guided him down the hallways that all looked exactly the same from Hanzo’s perspective. “Akande’s was close to my old boss’, on the very top floor.”

“Your old boss?”

“Member of Vishkar, who I worked for. He was the leader of my division.” Satya sighed, a rare sign of her fleeting display of emotion. “Once I learned that he was secretly working with Talon, I tried confronting him. It did not end well. I was brought here and held captive for months until my escape.”

“That’s—” Hanzo began, but Satya immediately cut him off.

“It is all in the past. I have Overwatch now, and I am satisfied.”

Hanzo frowned. “You are not going back to Vishkar?”

Hanzo waited for a reply, but it never arrived. Satya halted as they approached a doorway leading into a large, brightly lit room. She sidled up against the wall and tried to glance into the room, with Hanzo beside her, growing suspicious.

“What is it?” he asked in a harsh whisper.

Satya’s gaze met his and she replied just as quietly, “Do you not find it odd that we’ve yet to encounter any guards?”

 _Fuck_. She was right. It was the middle of the day, yet they did not run into a single soul.

Hanzo sputtered, “Do you think—”

“That they were expecting us? Yes.”

Hanzo cursed under his breath in his native tongue, pulling away from her to remove his bow from his back. As he adjusted the drawstring, Satya was leaning back over, trying to get a glance at the room ahead of them.

She gasped and pulled away mere milliseconds before the wall she was occupying was blasted by a bullet, the gunshot noise echoing down the hallway.

Hanzo recognized the handiwork.

“Widowmaker,” he hissed through gritted teeth. Hanzo remained furious over the incident involving Jesse. Knowing that she was here, too, made him blood absolutely _boil._

“You know her?” Satya asked incredulously.

“Unfortunately.”

Hanzo wondered if the same trick would work again, so he pulled out a sonic arrow, shooting it through the doorway without remaining for took long. Another shot fired, narrowly missing him. He released a shaky breath.

The heat signature was a floor above them, at least. Was she shooting them through a window? That seemed odd, since she was standing, aiming her rifle directly at them.

He hadn’t a clue where she could’ve been, but Satya—Satya was familiar with this building.

“What can you tell me about that room?” Hanzo asked, gesturing to said place.

Satya frowned, crossing her arms and humming before she finally murmured, “I believe it is the foyer. We are on the second floor, and there is a balcony on the third that overlooks everything. Is that where she is, do you think?”

“Yeah. She’s there.” Hanzo glanced again at the heat signature. She hadn’t moved. “How high is the railing?”

“Three feet. Why—”

Hanzo drew out a scatter arrow, Aiming it at the perfect vantage point where at least one fraction would hit her. He released it without hesitation nor warning, and watched with delight as his calculations were correct. Widowmaker let out a scream, keeling over.

“Now is our chance—is there an elevator?”

“Yes, it’s—”

“Take me to it!” Hanzo demanded, impatiently glancing at the sniper to make sure she was still distracted.

Satya darted down the hallway, and Hanzo followed swiftly. They stepped into the grand foyer, greeted to the sight of a grand staircase that led both downstairs and upstairs, where Widowmaker remained on the balcony. A massive chandelier hung even higher above them, its light shining the entire room with a soft, yellow glow. Above the chandelier was a glass ceiling. The sun was peeking over the room, its light rapidly fading as the partial eclipse continued.

Hanzo’s chest clenched when he glanced over to see Widowmaker standing again, holding her rifle high despite the blood trickling down her leg. She was aiming at Satya.

“Get down!” Hanzo roared, jumping at Satya from behind just as the gunshot rung out. They crashed onto the plush carpet together, the bullet narrowly missing both of them. Hanzo knew it wasn’t the end, so he pushed himself off her, grabbing his bow, and aiming an arrow straight at Widowmaker.

Everything came to a screeching halt. He froze, standing there with a panging chest at the scene before him.

It was Akande.

He was standing behind Widowmaker, and Hanzo watched in horror as he grabbed Widowmaker’s rifle, pulling it away from her. She looked shocked, but before she could protest, Akande spoke in that cold, calculating voice that Hanzo remembered so vividly.

“I believe I told you not to harm him.”

Widowmaker bowed her head. Akande went silent, tossing her rifle to the ground. He then turned to face Hanzo.

“It is good to see you again, dragon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For whatever reason, I thought Talon's HQ in canon was in Paris. Apparently it's Venice. No idea how I completely missed out on that. But y'know what it's my au I can do what I want


	13. Chapter 13

Hana shuffled uncomfortably within the storage closet she found. With no sign of Hanzo or Satya, she decided against searching for them on the off chance that a Talon guard would find her first. She tried using their comms, but it seemed that both of theirs were shut off.

She did find a foyer, but that was about it. Nobody was around, so she went back down the hallway and shuffled herself into the first door that opened, which fortunately was this little storage closet. It was a bit cramped, but it would work.

When she settled herself inside, she placed Jesse down on the ground, using her phone’s flashlight to navigate the tiny little room. She made sure to put him somewhere as open as possible, shuffling items around so that he had enough space to transform.

For herself, she found a chair, propped it up against the door, then settled herself on the ground beside it, kicking her feet against the other wall.

Time passed substantially slow. She killed some time on her phone by playing some mindless games, but it wasn’t enough to alleviate how ansty she was feeling.

Then, quite suddenly, she was startled by a voice in her ear. It was the first time any of the comms had been used, and she squeaked, not expecting it in the slightest.

“Hana?” It was Tracer.

Hana tapped the button, her voice going quiet, “Yes?”

“We found Yuna, ‘luv.”

Time came to a standstill. Hana breathed out a sigh she hardly realized she was holding, and her chest seized in nothing short of joy. Tears pricked at her eyes, and one hand involuntarily pressed over her mouth to stifle the sobbing noises she began to utter.

Tracer continued on without her, “She’s malnourished and quite weak. Genji and I’ll try to get her back up on her feet, ‘kay? You’ll see her soon, we promise.”

The comm blipped away, and Hana was surrounded by silence once more. This silence didn’t last nearly as long.

A bright, golden light burst inside the pitch black room. Hana gasped, seeing that the light was radiating from Jesse’s body. His form shifted, his body growing larger and larger until he was his full, human size. Then the light vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

“Jesse?” Hana murmured. She lit her phone’s flashlight again, but she didn’t aim it directly at him, knowing that he was naked. She kept her eyes away from him.

Jesse groaned, rubbing at his eyes. “Hana?” he murmured, then he shuffled into a proper sitting position versus the awkward one he transformed into. “Where’s this? Are we—”

“Yeah. We’re here.” She answered without hesitation. “Can you put your cloak on so I don’t accidentally see your crotch?”

Jesse bellowed with laughter, adjusting himself further. “Where—? Oh, there it is. Under my ass.”

Hana snorted.

She listened as Jesse struggled to move about the cramped closet, until he finally managed to wrap and close the cloak around himself.

“Ya didn’t happen to bring my arm, did ya?”

Hana shook her head. “It was too heavy, sorry.”

Jesse let out a sigh, but then he shrugged with only his shoulders. “It’s alright, I suppose. Hopefully I won’t need it.” Then he froze for a moment, almost as if realization struck him. “Any other clothes besides this?”

Hana raised her arms in a sheepish shrug. “Nope!”

Jesse lightly kicked at her with his feet, and she giggled.

“Ya coulda brought _somethin’._ Ugh, whatever. What’s the plan now?”

Hana stood, moving over to remove the chair blocking the door from under the doorknob, doing so as she spoke, “Find Hanzo. The eclipse hasn’t reached its peak yet, so I’m surprised you’re, well… early.”

“How much time we got?”

“I’m not exactly sure. Maybe fifteen minutes?”

“Shit, well, better get a move on, then, huh?”

Hana nodded, setting down the chair before shutting off the flashlight and stuffing her phone away. She opened the door, glancing down both ends of the hallway, seeing that everything was clear. Nobody seemed to be around within the entire damn building. This was odd, especially given that it was the middle of the day.

They stepped into the hallway, and Hana took hold of Jesse’s hand, rushing him down the direction that she knew would lead them to the foyer she found earlier.

It was just around this corner and—

She screeched, both of them freezing in their tracks when they spotted a dark figure several feet down the hall. It wore black robes and a white mask with a beak. It held two shotguns in each hand, the weapons sitting against its sides. Some sort of black mist swirled around its body. While everywhere else inside the building was brightly lit, all the lights surrounding this figure had gone out.

It stepped towards them. Jesse moved forward, blocking Hana with his flesh arm, shielding her with his entire body.

“Jesse, you need to go,” Hana murmured, tugging at the cloak. She shifted her hand to rest over her hip where her pistol sat in its holster. “You need to find Hanzo.”

“I ain’t leavin’ you here to deal with this creep.” Jesse’s voice was low. Almost lethal.

The figure tilted its head, and spoke with the most distorted, haunting voice Hana had ever heard.

“When did you begin babysitting, Jesse?”

Hana grimaced, her cheeks heating rapidly, anger boiling deep within her. But Jesse didn’t react in nearly the same manner. He froze completely, gasping softly.

“G—Gabe…?”

The figure didn’t move. Instead, it laughed.

“Always knew you’d figure me out quick. You’ve always been a smart boy, Jesse.”

Jesse exhaled a shaky breath, shaking his head, “I thought you were dead.”

A shrug from the figure, both shotguns moving with their hands. “So did I.”

Hana tugged desperately at Jesse’s cloak, practically whimpering, “You know him?”

Jesse didn’t have a chance to respond, for the figure stepped towards them, holding both guns straight at them. They took one, two, three steps, then froze. The black mist moved with their feet, swirling around them. Then, all too suddenly, their hands turned inwardly, their fingers splayed open, and both shotguns fell to the ground with a clatter. They rested their hands back at their sides.

“That witch did this to me, Jesse. I want you to give her hell. Help me find some goddamn peace in this hell I’ve been given.”

“W—Wait, hold up, you mean the same witch who—”

A nod was the answer.

Jesse cursed under his breath in a language Hana didn’t understand.

The figure stepped towards them again, over the fallen shotguns. Both weapons vanished in an instant, becoming the same black mist that swirled around their body. They reached into their jacket, pulling out a black and red gun, holding it out for Jesse.

“Always kept this after you got Peacekeeper. Figured it would come in handy one day.”

“Gabe, are you sure—”

“Take it, _Jessito_.”

Jesse swallowed thickly, slowly reaching over and gripping the weapon in his single hand. The figure stepped away once it was gone, laughing again.

“Always watched over you, Jesse. You’ve been through some shit.” The figure chuckled, “I hope things change.”

Jesse replied with a swift nod.

The figure stepped aside, allowing them to move down through the hallway once more.

“C’mon, Hana,” Jesse murmured, and she followed closely at his heel. While she was leading him before, Jesse held a brand new, determined expression that left them switching places.

Hana glanced behind them once they passed the figure. They vanished completely, leaving nothing behind but a smoky trail.

* * *

 

Hanzo never let down his aim, the tip of his arrow pointing directly at Akande while the man descended the staircase at a snail’s pace. He had the same large, powerful aura that he did more than a decade ago. Everything about him was so familiar, yet… foreign. Parts of his younger self left him hesitating. How could he shoot a man he once loved?

Then his mind bursts to the brim with Jesse, Jesse, _Jesse_ —and he growls, furious and ready to strike. After everything Akande had done to him and the man he loved most, he could _never_ forget.

“Put that away,” Akande commanded, though his voice was soft and calm rather than cold and stern. Hanzo didn’t listen.

Akande finally reached the bottom of the stairs, standing directly before Hanzo, the tip of the arrow mere inches away from his body. Akande’s hands were sitting behind his back, and on top of the formal white suit he wore, he looked absolutely dignified. Parts of the younger businessman remained, it seemed.

“Very well,” Akande sighed, clicking his tongue once before making a _tsk-tsk_ noise. “How have you been, my dragon?”

“Bold of you to assume that I am still _yours_.”

“Why else would you return to me?”

Akande’s hand drifted over to Hanzo, so quickly that he could hardly even react. His body froze at the contact of the warm skin against his cheek, thumb brushing just below his jawline. Everything seemed to freeze over, and Hanzo found himself unable to even move, but he felt every tiny shift of Akande’s fingers. They moved from his cheek to his chin, lifting his head up until he locked eyes with the larger man. It wasn’t until Akande’s thumb brushed his bottom lip that the trance broke and he pulled away roughly.

“ _No_ ,” he spat, drawing the arrow back once more and pointing directly at him, “I belong to _no one_.”

Akande frowned deeply, deep lines creasing over his face. “Not even that cowboy you love so dearly?”

“He does not _own_ me. We are _partners_.” Hanzo scoffed. “You believe that lovers are for possession, like one would possess a tool for their use. That is—that is not Jesse and myself.”

Akande stared blankly, his grimace not faltering in the slightest.

“I do not understand why you would choose him over me, dragon.” Akande grinned. “He is foolish, incompetent. A farm boy turned criminal, thinking he could make up for that by becoming a _hero_. Pathetic.”

Hanzo seethed, chest heaving with his deep breaths as he tried to control himself.

“At least he cares about me for who I _am_ , not for my _family_.”

The two men locked eyes throughout a long, uncomfortable silence.

Then, suddenly, Akande turned around, speaking instead to Widowmaker, “Bring Moira here. I wish to speak with her.” Widowmaker bowed her head slightly before walking out through the door on the higher floor.

 _Moira…?_ Hanzo was unsure who that was supposed to be, but he suspected it was not a good sign. Akande turned his attention back to him. His grimace devolved into a warm smile.

“You can put away Stormbow. I won’t harm you.”

Hanzo, though suspicious, finally acquiesced with a grumble, stuffing the single arrow into his quiver. He kept the bow in his left hand, not feeling quite trustworthy enough of Akande to put it away.

“You were expecting me, weren’t you?” Hanzo spat, trying to turn the tides of their conversation over to his favour. “You knew about the eclipse.”

Akande grinned, shrugging with only his shoulders. “I’m still that easy to read? I should try harder, then.”

“Why else would the whole building be empty in the middle of a day?”

“It’s almost Christmas, Hanzo. Everyone is on holiday vacation.”

Hanzo rolled his eyes.

Akande’s expression fell flat again. “Perhaps I should buy you a cake. Christmas cake was always your favourite, was it not?”

Hanzo finally lost it. He roared, all of his frustrations seeping through his every pore. He rushed at Akande, getting a fierce grip of the front of his suit jacket, pulling him as far down as he was physically able, which wasn’t much. Their eyes bore into each other’s—Akande’s cold and emotionless, Hanzo’s flaming with rage.

“Enough _fucking_ around, Akande!” Hanzo roared, and Akande’s eyes went wide. Hanzo had never seen him look so shocked. “I am tired of these games. I do not love you, I will _never_ love you again! I do not belong to you, for I belong to _no one_!” Hanzo shook his fist. “Do you understand?! I want back the life you took from me! Our lives together ended long ago, yet you try so desperately to worm your way back in again.” Hanzo’s head finally cooled, the heat left his face. He released his grip, stepping away, shaking slightly. “Just—do not let Jesse suffer any more. Please. Curse me as much as you want, just—do not let him be involved in this any longer.”

Akande was speechless. A rare sight for someone like him. His eyes were still wide, evidently shocked. Some time passed where they remained silent, before Akande held a hand up to shield his eyes. It was a futile attempt to repress his emotions.

Hanzo dropped Stormbow. He moved his hand towards Akande, an attempt to console him, but was interrupted as Widowmaker returned with another woman.

“I hope there is a good reason that you’ve pulled me away from my research,” the woman said, voice cool and collected, just like her entire demeanor. She stepped down the stairs, and Hanzo’s breath hitched. This woman was wearing nothing but black and violet clothing—a witch. _The_ witch. “Oh my,” she said as she reached the final step, looking at Akande with a raised eyebrow. “You look _dreadful._ ”

The woman’s eyes flickered over to Hanzo’s. Mismatched—one was blue, the other a stark crimson. She frowned at him, trying to puzzle together why she was being summoned.

Akande finished rubbing at his face with his face, heaving a sigh before finally saying, “Break the curse, Moira.”

She laughed, “You will have to be more specific than that. I’ve cursed many.”

He groaned, gesturing at Hanzo. “The curse on Hanzo and his… _partner_.” He practically spat the word.

Hanzo’s jaw dropped slightly, his eyes trying to bore into Akande’s but the larger man wasn’t even looking at him. It was shocking—not only to see Akande expressing emotions, but to see him so easily acquiesce to Hanzo’s wishes. Normally he was more headstrong and stubborn than this, but… perhaps he’d changed over the years. Perhaps the guilt of cursing the man he loved finally dug itself deep enough.

“Oh, _that_ curse!” Moira laughed, a cackling, witchy laugh. “I don’t know how.”

“You—what?!”

She shrugged, “I cast spells. I don’t break them. But also? I don’t care.”

Something in Hanzo snapped at that moment. He grabbed his bow from the floor, drew and arrow, and aimed it directly at the witch’s head. She reacted with nothing but a glare.

“You will do this or else—” Hanzo began, but was immediately cut off.

“Or else what?” Moira’s glare became a smirk. “Killing me won’t break it.”

Hanzo drew the arrow back fully, “It is worth a—”

“Hanzo.”

That voice. _That voice_. Hanzo’s breath hitched, his chest constricted. The draw of his bow faltered, and it wasn’t long before his weapons clattered to the floor. Hanzo turned his eyes towards the source.

And there he was. Jesse, in all his beauty, standing at the bottom of the staircase, gazing up at his with all the love in the world in his eyes. Hana was standing beside him, and she waved, a soft smile plastered on her face.

Hanzo only now realized how dim it had become inside the foyer. He resisted from glancing up to watch the eclipse, but he didn’t need to, for seeing Jesse before him was more than enough.

Jesse was grinning and gazing up at him all while climbing the stairs. Hanzo swallowed thickly, trying to quench the rush of emotions from pouring out, but it was a futile attempt. His eyes were dripping with tears before he could stop it. So was Jesse’s.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

Jesse ran up the last few steps, immediately swallowing Hanzo in a warm embrace. Hanzo sighed contentedly, soaking up the long-forgotten feeling of Jesse’s body pressed against his, so soft and welcoming. Jesse’s strong smell of cigars and pinewood overwhelmed him in one swift rush, but he didn’t care. This was all he craved for during all these years.

Hanzo craved something else, too. He pushed Jesse back, but only far enough to allow him to grip Jesse’s face with boths face and pull him into a fiery kiss. Jesse made a small noise, positively melting, as he returned the kiss without hesitation.

Akande had been watching them the entire time, until he finally couldn’t stand it further. He turned away, nearly making his way back up the staircase.

Hanzo stopped him before he could go further, “Akande,” he said, pulling away from Jesse with intense hesitation, “listen. Had things been different, surely we never would have drifted.” He forced out a sigh, catching his breath. “I hold no ill will. I simply wish for you to move on, as I have.”

Akande paused, turned his head enough that Hanzo could see the tiny smile on his lips, then headed back up the stairs. Moira followed after him with a light step.

She only turned briefly to snicker and say, “Enjoy your freedom.” Before all three Talon agents vanished into the same doorway.

Hanzo breathed out, relief overwhelming him. It was over. _Finally_ over.

“The curse is broken.” Satya’s voice startled them both. Hanzo felt a twinge of guilt at having forgotten her, but it seemed that the fall knocked her out briefly. She was stumbling as she walked towards them, gazing at the eclipse above them through her glass visor. Hanzo hoped it was protecting her eyes. “It is over, and you are both still human.” She smiled warmly. “Congratulations.”

Hanzo was tempted to sob again, but resisted the urge. He turned back to Jesse, allowing himself to be embraced by him again. They kissed, again and again, only stopping to pause for breath and when their lips began to grow sore.

“Missed you, sugarcube,” Jesse whispered in his ear, voice low and soft.

Hanzo snorted. “Never thought I would miss those ridiculous pet names.”

“Oh, you know you love it.” A chaste peck on his cheek. “You’re gonna hear plenty of ‘em once we get back, I promise. ‘Less you’d prefer for me to scream your na—”

“Okay, dial it back, cowboy.” Hana said as she approached them, hands on her hips. She pointed behind her with a thumb. “Transport’s outside. Let’s go home.”

 _Home_. Was Gibraltar home now?

They followed Hana down the steps and out the front door. Tracer was there to greet them, Overwatch’s transporter sitting there right in the midst of the estate’s garden. Not a single guard was out here, either. Akande truly did rid the place in anticipation of their arrival.

They nearly ran into Hana, who stopped in her tracks.

“Yuna…?” she murmured, hardly above a whisper. She jolted over to the transport.

Yuna Lee was already sitting inside on one of the plush seats. Genji was beside her, holding a juice box up to her face, and she was quietly sipping through the straw. Once Hana approached, Yuna’s eyes went wide as saucers.

“Hana?” she said hoarsely.

Hana sat beside her, brushing a hand over her forehead and grinning warmly. “Hey there,” Hana said in her native tongue.

Hanzo tried not to listen to their conversation as he and Jesse made themselves comfortable within the transport, buckling up in their seats. Hanzo let his head fall over Jesse’s shoulder, closing his eyes, acting like he couldn’t speak Korean.

“Oh, Hana, I’m so sorry,” Yuna murmured, tears welling up in her eyes, weakly dragging Hana into an embrace. “I fucked up, Hana, I fucked up—”

“Hush, you’re safe now.” Hana pressed a kiss to her forehead, petting her hair.

“I—I was working with them, Hana. I shouldn’t have, I was so stupid—”

“I said hush. Get some rest. You need it.”

Hana strapped herself into her seat, and Genji moved away from them into his own seat so Yuna could lay down, her head resting on Hana’s lap. Hana began hummed an unfamiliar tune, caressing Yuna’s face until she finally dozed off.

The transport lifted off shortly after, and they made their way home. To Gibraltar. Whether or not Jesse and himself would join with Overwatch was still up for debate. Their singular goal had been fulfilled. Finding their next purpose was just another part of the journey.

Hanzo peered his eyes open, glancing up at Jesse. He didn’t notice, for he had lolled his head back against his seat and dozed off. Hanzo didn’t mind in the least. He needed the sleep.

Hanzo dug Jesse’s singular arm out from underneath his cloak, curling his fingers into the spaces that fit so perfectly. His head leaned back on Jesse’s shoulder, allowing exhaustion to overtake him just the same.

Together at last, they could finally look towards the future, knowing there were many years ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I hope y'all enjoyed it. 
> 
> This was my longest fic in years so it was a struggle on top of college and work but I managed to pull through yeehaw. Long fic is hard for me, sorry if there's any inconsistencies. I know Dusty straight up vanished. He's fine, he's just chillin on the watchpoint eatin some oats. Jesse gets mad when Torb feeds him too many carrots
> 
> There will be a bonus chapter. I will post it separately, because it will have sexual content and be rated E (this story is M). It hasn't been written yet, so it'll be posted when it's done and added to a series (I promise it will happen, I have it all planned out >:3c)
> 
> Huge thanks to my friend Mel for doing the Big Bang with me! It was their idea and I just went along for the ride, but it was a good experience
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/luciolelights) or [tumblr](http://luciolelights.tumblr.com/)


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